Welshman Joe Allen is set to end his Liverpool career with Stoke City confirming signing the midfielder in a £13.5million, 5-year-deal.
BREAKING | Stoke City are delighted to announce the signing of Joe Allen from @LFC on a 5-year deal #SCFC pic.twitter.com/3XqQ8EFyyk
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) July 25, 2016
Stoke bid £13.5m for the Wales international, outbidding old club Swansea. Allen looked for a move after finding his first team opportunities at Anfield limited.
WATCH | First glimpse of Joe Allen in a Stoke City shirt and will meet up with the squad in Orlando tomorrow #SCFChttps://t.co/osPSJ1DidP
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) July 25, 2016
Stoke’s bid met Liverpool’s valuation of a player with less than 12 months remaining on his contract and means they recouped most of the £15million they paid Swansea four years ago.
Allen told the club website: ‘It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours for me but I am delighted to have finally been able to put pen to paper.
‘I was really excited as soon as I heard of the club’s interest and it wasn’t a difficult decision for me to make. I am incredibly excited about my future here at Stoke City.’
‘It’s relatively out the blue, I’d seen that the offer was accepted and things have moved quickly since then so glad to get it done quickly and I can’t wait to get out and meet the lads in Florida and get the football underway.’
Allen, who was in the final year of his contract on Merseyside, joins up with fellow Welshman Hughes.