Rumours in Stoke continue to suggest Town interest in Icelandic central defender Brynjar Gunnarsson. Stoke failed to make the Second Division play-off final, and therefore the First Division, and manager Gudjon Thordarson is likely to struggle to keep several of his players.

Graham Kavanagh, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Bjarni Gudjonsson, James O'Connor and Peter Thorne are all players that the Potteries club will do well to hold on to. Gunnarsson is thought to be valued at £2 million, a price Town could certainly afford.

Gunnarsson is a 25-year-old Icelandic international who plays as a central midfielder as well as a defender. He was born in Reykjavik, is 6' 1" and made a Marcus Stewart-style clean sweep of the Stoke Player of the Year awards this season. His previous clubs were KR Reykjavik, Valerenga and Orgryte. He joined Stoke in December 1999 for £600,000.

George Burley may well be looking to bring in another centre-half as he has effectively lost two as the season ends. Tony Mowbray will not have a playing contact next season while John Scales left last month. In addition Hermann Hreidarsson was also bought as a centre-half but has spent most of his time at left-back, a position he has made his own and from where he is unlikely to be removed. Could Town prifit from Stoke's play-off agony?

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