We’re lead to believe that Stoke are on the cusp of signing Giannelli Imbula after agreeing a fee of £18million with Porto for the midfielder’s services.
According to the Guardian, talks are “advancing quickly” between the two parties with Stoke agreeing to include a 15% sell-on clause in the deal at Porto’s behest.
Stoke’s current record transfer is the £12million they paid Inter Milan for Xherdan Shaqiri last August.
Speaking of records, Imbula, who plays with a lanky swagger somewhere akin to a young Patrick Vieira, was the most expensive signing in the history of Portuguese football when he joined Porto from Marseille in July of 2015.
However, perhaps the most intriguing fact about the 23-year-old former France U21 international is that his real first name is Gilbert.
Smashing. Not many Gilberts knocking around in top-level football these days.