West Ham fans should fear history repeating itself, as reports have emerged that Mario Husillos is readying an approach for Stoke City’s Joe Allen.
The Telegraph were the first to report our interest in the Welsh midfielder, when they claimed on Tuesday that the Championship outfit are expecting a range of departures from the bet365 Stadium, having failed to secure their return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.
Football Insider later echoed their claims, while adding that Husillos was not only interested in the 29-year-old like Watford are, but was actively preparing an approach for the Potters’ £50,000-a-week prize asset.
This obviously wouldn’t be the first time that the club have attempted to lure the 49-cap international to the London Stadium, either, as David Gold stated in February 2018 that there was an official £25million bid lodged that January, which Stoke rejected.
Neither, the Telegraph or Football Insider, have noted how much our new approach for Allen would set us back, but it would be surprising if it were cheap, given the Potters are set to ask for £30m for Jack Butland amid interest from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
TransferMarkt also still value Allen at £13.5m, after hitting six goals in England’s second-tier, which is just half a million shy of what the Staffordshire outfit paid Liverpool to acquire him in 2016.
Allen has also produced four assists in the Championship so far, following the Potters’ relegation last year, along with an average of 1.2 key passes, 1.3 dribbles and one shot per ninety minutes.
He would, however, be unlikely to improve our midfield beyond our current best options, and would create echoes of the past, in the club buying players who will not take us to another level, when there are younger, more exciting options on the table.
The only reason why the board should look to Allen over someone like the Irons-linked Kerem Demirbay, for example, would be that Stoke are asking for peanuts in comparison to what Hoffenheim are demanding for their 25-year-old creator – who has a £22million release clause.
