Jon Walters' five-year spell at Stoke could be coming to an end. The Irish international is in the final year of his contract at the Brittania, and despite Stoke rejecting a bid from Norwich for his services - Walters isn't certain that he will be there next year.
The 33-times capped international doesn't think that the club value him with their latest contract offer, telling BBC Radio Stoke:
In my eyes, if they valued me, it would be there but it's not. People behind the scenes know why. I'll leave it with my agents and my lawyer. I can't really go too much into it.
I've been here five years and improved every year. I can give you every stat for the past five years and I'm probably in the top two for everything.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes wants to keep hold of the hard-working striker to go with the flair of his stylish signings. For Walters, he says he wants a better contract than one that is being offered:
There's a contract there. But talk's cheap when it comes to things like that.
Stoke has been by far Walters most successful spell after previously playing for nine other clubs, never spending more than three years at any one club which he did with Bolton from 2001-04, and Ipswich in 2007-10.
The Stoke sentinel are reporting that Hughes is already planning a contigency should Walters not re-sign with the Potters, with 35-year-old Croatian veteran forward Ivica Olic a long-term target. Olic, while not a former player of Barcelona, has played in the Champions League final with Bayern twice - losing both time. The 101 times capped Croatian currently plays for Hamburg after moving from Wolfsburg last January.
[BBC]
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Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE