Stoke must pay Saido Berahino £2.5m to leave club after failing to terminate contract after drink drive conviction

STOKE have had to give Saido Berahino a £2.5million pay-off to leave the club.

The Potters had planned to sack the striker for gross misconduct following his drink-drive conviction.

But Stoke chiefs have agreed to pay the former England Under-21 striker nearly half of the £5million remaining on his playing contract after lawyers said sacking him was not an option.

A club statement read: "Stoke City can confirm that Saido Berahino has today left the club by mutual agreement."

The former West Brom striker was banned from driving for 30 months and fined £75,000 for being three times over the legal alcohol limited when he was stopped by police in London in February.

Berahino told magistrates he was only driving to escape a gang of armed robbers.

Birmingham have been linked with the forward.

The striker failed to score for TWO whole seasons: 2016/17 and 2017/18 before finally finding the net in the Championship.

He has trained with Belgian club Zulte Waregem and played in a pre-season friendly for French side Nimes, who are both understood to be interested.

Berahino moved from Albion for £12m in 2017 but the club wanted him out straight after he was charged with drink-driving in February.

He was banned for eight weeks after testing positive for drugs, claiming his drink was spiked.