Hughes not expecting late transfer deals at Stoke

Mark Hughes does not expect much transfer activity at Stoke City before Tuesday’s deadline, claiming he is content with the players he has already drafted in.

Stoke, who have brought in the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay in the close-season, have earned just two points from their first three Premier League fixtures.

But Hughes is not concerned, admitting that it will take time for new players to bed in and that he is not looking to further add to his squad.

“In previous years there have been a lot of late deals but we don’t anticipate there’ll be too many this time,” said the Stoke boss.

“I like to get the deals done early, but if something comes along that we hadn’t expected that is right for us, then we might have a look.

“We’ve brought a level of player in which will help us move forward, but of course it’ll take time for them to settle, you have to take that into account when you bring in players.

“Some go through that process quicker than others, some will have to be patient, but there’s no reason why they won’t be very influential for us.”

One player who may be leaving Stoke in the near future is Jonathan Walters – with the Republic of Ireland international still stalling on signing a new deal and the subject of a rejected bid from Norwich City. 

“Jon knows that I’d like him to stay. He has his view on where the contract deal is at the moment, but it’s not concluded yet,” added Hughes.

“I have no problem with his stance, we know the value that he gives to the squad, but maybe he’s looking for a bit more security in terms of the length of the deal than we can offer.”