Monaco weighing up £10million move for Stoke outcast Gianelli Imbula to replace Chelsea signing Tiemoue Bakayoko
French champions are eyeing shock move Potters outcast who has failed to make a first-team appearance in 2017
FRENCH Champions Monaco are weighing up a £10million move for Stoke outcast Gianelli Imbula.
Imbula, 24, has lost his way in England since his club record £18.3million move from Porto last year and is keen to return to his native France.
The Frenchman has made just 23 appearances for the Potters since his arrival from Portuguese giants Porto two seasons ago.
And boss Mark Hughes is unlikely to stand in the way of the defensive midfielder who has not started a Premier League game in 2017.
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim is flushed with cash after selling Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva to Manchester City and Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea for a combined £133million this summer.
Now he wants Imbula, who made his name with Marseille in Ligue 1, as a straight replacement for Bakayoko.
But Stoke are reluctant to take too much of a financial hit on Imbula - and know that Monaco have the financial resources to make a decent offer.
They are understood to want to recoup well over half of what they paid for the star.
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Hughes is already eyeing City and England midfielder Fabian Delph to replace Imbula.
And they already have money to spend after off-loading Marko Arnautovic to West Ham for £24m this week.