"?Stoke City are said to have agreed a £13m deal to bring Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen to the bet365 Stadium next season, as Mark Hughes sets up a push for a European place next season.
The Liverpool Echo report that the accepted bid makes the Potters the clear front-runners for Allen's signature as the transfer window begins to hot up.
Liverpool accept £13m Joe Allen bid #LFChttps://t.co/FbEokE57bK
Allen, who starred for Wales at Euro 2016, has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield and Liverpool are said to be willing to sell the 26-year-old after failing to begin talks over an extension.
The Wales international had been strongly linked with a move back to his former club Swansea, although West Ham and, surprisingly, Manchester United have all also been linked with a move for Allen's services.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp told the BBC last week: "We will find a solution but it's not done. Obviously Joe Allen is a good player. We never doubted this. He played a good European Championship, like the whole Welsh team. We have to make decisions, we have to find solutions. We have to talk to the player, ask the player and think about our situation. That's how it works."
Stoke have agreed a fee of £13million with #lfc for Joe Allen. More to follow @TeleFootball #scfc
Allen is said to have told the club that he wants guarantees of more first-team football over the coming season, after starting just eight Premier League games over the course of the last campaign.
With Marko Grujic joining the likes of Allen, Jordan Henderson and Emre Can in the already-packed Reds midfield, the Welshman would have his work cut out to nail down a regular place - despite the performances in France which led to him being named in the Euro 2016 team of the tournament.
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