Stoke City midfielder Steven N’Zonzi is set to disappoint a trio of Barclays Premier League clubs this summer by agreeing a switch to the reigning Europa League winners Sevilla.
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Telegraph Sport revealed on Wednesday afternoon that the Potters have reluctantly accepted a £7million offer from the Liga BBVA outfit for the French midfielder, who is now expected to travel to Spain and complete a move by the end of the week.
N’Zonzi has developed into an underrated central midfielder during his time in England and also had a spell with Blackburn Rovers before signing for Stoke City in the summer of 2012.
Last season he started all 38 league games for Mark Hughes’s side as they clinched a respectable ninth placed finish and one of his three goals in the campaign came on the last day of the season in the 6-1 thrashing of Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium in May.
That goal seemed to spark interest from the Reds as they alongside rivals Arsenal and Tottenham were all linked with a move for the 26-year-old at some point in the summer [via Express Sport].
Liverpool’s need for a new midfielder is apparent following the departure of club legend Steven Gerrard, who officially joined Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy on July 1, but Brendan Rodgers will have to continue his search for a replacement.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have been linked with a host of new additions in central midfield during the transfer window as manager Arsene Wenger looks to build a squad capable of challenging for the title next season.
Arturo Vidal, William Carvalho and Morgan Schneiderlin are just a few names that are reportedly on Wenger’s radar, although various reports during the week have suggested that none of the deals look like happening.
The Juventus star has been tipped to sign for Real Madrid [via Express Sport] now that his participation at the Copa America tournament is now over, while new Sporting Lisbon manager Jorge Jesus has issued a strict hands-off warning regarding the club’s prized asset in Carvalho [via ESPN] and Schneiderlin looks set for a summer switch to Manchester United [via Mirror Sport], despite reportedly favouring a move to the Emirates Stadium [via Standard Sport].
Spurs have signed three players so far but all have been in defensive areas and it would appear that manager Mauricio Pochettino is now looking to strengthen further up the pitch.