Hughes and Shaqiri back in Stoke talks

Stoke City are back in talks to seal an eye-catching move for Inter winger Xherdan Shaqiri after the Switzerland international was spotted at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.

Mark Hughes’ side kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 home loss to Liverpool and Shaqiri was an interested onlooker in the stands.

Hughes has made no secret of his desire to bring a high-profile attacker to Stoke for the new season, as the club look to build on consecutive ninth-placed finishes in the league.

Having claimed earlier in the window that Shaqiri stalling on talks had seen the move break down, Hughes confirmed after the match he was hopeful of resurrecting a deal.

“If we can conclude something, we’ll be delighted. There’s nothing certain when the window’s still open,” he told Sky Sports.

“We’ve been close [to an agreement] in the past, so we’ll wait and see.

“It’s a time thing, sometimes you can get things done quickly. I’m always hopeful.”