Town skipper Jon Walters is understood to be on the verge of a £3 million move to Premier League Stoke City. Walters has been tipped to make his Portman Road exit all summer with QPR recently claimed to have had a £2.5 million offer rebuffed by the Blues and weekend reports that the former Republic of Ireland B international had handed in a transfer request.

The Blues and Potters are believed to have agreed the fee and Walters is expected at the Britannia Stadium today to talk personal terms with the move looking likely to be completed before the end of the week.

The 26-year-old, who is contracted to Town until 2012, was strongly linked with Stoke in the summer of 2008, but no offer was eventually forthcoming, and then again earlier in this close season.

Manager Roy Keane, who made Walters his captain last season, said in January that the Birkenhead-born player is capable of playing in the top flight: “Jon’s been outstanding. He’s a been a really good leader for us, even earlier in the season when we were having a difficult spell.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, Jon Walters could easily be playing in the Premiership, so we’re very lucky to have him. He’s a very, very important player for us.”

Walters joined Town from Chester City for an initial £100,000 in January 2007, the deal also including top-ups relating to appearances by the player and promotion for the Blues which would could have taken the fee to £200,000. The one-time Blackburn and Bolton trainee coincidentally made his Town debut against Stoke in a 0-0 draw in Staffordshire.

If Walters completes his move, the Blues are appear almost certain to use some of the cash raised to tempt Cardiff City into selling number one target Michael Chopra, their offers so far having been refused by the Bluebirds.

Meanwhile, a season ticket in D Block of the Cobbold Stand has been revealed as the fourth most expensive in the country at £1,001, higher than the top-priced seats at Manchester United and Newcastle and cheaper than only Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea’s most costly tickets.

Photo: Action Images

bluelady added 14:35 - Aug 4 well Devontractorboy if they are all as slow as the fulop deal heaven help us :-)
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Daleyitfc added 14:35 - Aug 4 New keeper and new striker being signed a few days before the season starts : well, that worked brilliantly in 2001 .... With Walters going that means that we now have no players good enough to play in the Premiership.
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blueherts added 14:40 - Aug 4 Plus Beattie or Kitson and Etherington !!! Now go get Chopra and Whittingham
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floridaboy added 14:43 - Aug 4 £3m for Walters. Unbelievable business by Town as he is only worth about £500k Also that means we wont play the long ball game as that was the only reason Walters was in the side!
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FinnishBlue added 14:46 - Aug 4 Daley, You mean Sereni? :)
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blueherts added 14:47 - Aug 4 Hmm - Andrew Davies - Right back - had a few injuries but decent player ?
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NW10_Tractor added 14:48 - Aug 4 Reminds me of the sad day when Darren Bent left.... :-(
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bluearmy4life added 14:50 - Aug 4 If all goes through Jon i wish you all the best. Really bad timeing though.Im struggling to see who will replace him in midfield. We have lost 2 midfieders in a matter of days not good when your first game is 3 days away. We are no closer to signing chopra at all. If anything it's quite unlikely town will get him we are being too tight with money and lettings things drag on for too long. Most clubs have got there team all about ready we are no where near settled. I really hope we do start well but with things as it stands we are going to find it a struggle.

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bluearmy4life added 14:55 - Aug 4 Have to say though three million is good business! We have to sign a striker stop fcuknn about and get it done.
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DrJeckyll added 14:56 - Aug 4 Good price, cant blame him for wanting to move to the premier and i'm sure his wage packet will go up, having spent most of his career in the lower leagues. Also i would assume that we have someone earmarked to replace him, although could be a right back instead of right wing cos peters can play both. P.S this Fulop thing is getting right on my nerves now, everything has been agreed, he's had his medical, someone please put us out of our misery and confirm the signing

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DrJeckyll added 14:58 - Aug 4 P.P.S i would be surprised if cardiff sell any of their players as they are currently not allowed to buy any to replace them
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OneBobbyRobson added 15:05 - Aug 4 I have to say I'll be a little disappointed to see Walters leave, I think he could have a good season on the right hand side of Roy Keane's new 4-3-3 formation, however £3million is a lot of money for a player of his calibre and an offer that can't really be turned down. However with Walters now on the verge of leaving it's even more important that we can some replacements in and quickly. How about a double bid for Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham? Cardiff are certainly in need of the money right now.

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nysully added 15:06 - Aug 4 Cut out the middle man and have Stoke make the check out to the chancellor of the exchequer for debts owed by Cardiff and ship Chops directly to us, great bit of business
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sirbenofmorlingshire added 15:08 - Aug 4 Quite an interesting website my Watford Season Ticket holder best mate just sent me which shows all the transfer actions from the CCC so far. Agree with the Ipswich comments and a nice comparison against other teams! http://bhappy.wordpress.com/
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nysully added 15:08 - Aug 4 Does Chester have any claim to a percentage of the deal?
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willmister added 15:10 - Aug 4 i am sad to see him go but the last few seasons there is a lot of effort but no end product. 3 million is a great bit of business and if this means chopra coming in i am glad this is happening!
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willmister added 15:10 - Aug 4 i am sad to see him go but the last few seasons there is a lot of effort but no end product. 3 million is a great bit of business and if this means chopra coming in i am glad this is happening!
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hamster153 added 15:12 - Aug 4 I dnt see why we need the money when we have a owner like we do. If we need some funds then how bout Evans sells that Heli Copter of his and use a car instead. Heres soemthing, Chops, Wickham and Walters all in our squad. I do think Walters deserves the move though!
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StowTractorBoy added 15:13 - Aug 4 I cannot believe that Walters will fetch £3m and wonder where this figure comes from. I have been a big Walters fan not least for his tireless work ethic but I would never value him at £3M or anywhere near that so have to say that if this is true then snap Stokes' hands off. On Saturday I thought he looked very laboured and was gasping for breath on more than one occasion. Since that first season I think the steam has gone out of him but if you do go Jon good luck and thanks for your efforts.

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robdaful added 15:18 - Aug 4 If this goes through I will feel like we have mugged Stoke. lol 3m thats 2m more than I rate him. Good times. Chopra, and a right back. WIth Peters moving up to replace Walters good times. And it just shows how unreasonable our ticket prices are "as a season ticket in D Block of the Cobbold Stand has been revealed as the fourth most expensive in the country at £1,001, higher than the top-priced seats at Manchester United and Newcastle and cheaper than only Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea's most costly tickets." Shocking!!!!! Luckly my season ticket is in Britania stand.

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mkblue added 15:18 - Aug 4 Sad that he is going but 3 mill is good business. I think that we should forget chasing Chopra and look at Lambert from soton and Austin from Swindon to boost the strikeforce and Boyd from Peterborough or Tommy Smith from Pompey as potential replacements for JW
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katemoss added 15:20 - Aug 4 Chops? Why are we calling him Chops. Is he the answer? He was able to score the goals last year because Cardiff had a football team behind him. We've got a rag bag of cast-offs and kids. You could put Messi in front of our team and he'd be lucky to get more than five in a season. Watch out. Chopra is a pretty miserable character to base your season around.
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ipswichsupporter88 added 15:21 - Aug 4 I think Stead and Chopra would make a good combination, and also priskin and wickham (when he recovers from injury).
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PSGBlue added 15:21 - Aug 4 Walters will never be the same for us again if he stays, his mind is in the northwest, so in that respect good business. But with so many departures, Roy Keane's future will depend on who comes in during the 25 days. I wish John Walters all the best, great memories of two great goals. First away to QPR Feb 2009, long pass by Quinn, one touch back of the net. Second, the sixth against Bristol City at home (Dec 2007?). Great Brazilian World Cup Finals 1970's move, ball played in from the left to Lee on the edge of the D, holds it up then lays it off to his right. Walters runs in, right hand edge of the box and smashes it first time past keeper into left hand corner of the net. Happy days! Bristol City match was last before Evans took over, its gone down hill ever since that Walters goal!

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Lightningboy added 15:21 - Aug 4 If it's £3M then great business..stupid trying to fit him and Edwards on the right anyway...now let's hope our inept boss can go and spend it wisely.
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