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

Oxblue added 13:48 - Aug 4 3 Mill a great bit buisness! a good player who always gave his all but will struggle at a much higher level. Chopra in me thinks with another suprise big name before the window shuts. COYB!!
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nitroblue1970 added 13:48 - Aug 4 3 million for a player who has been a good servant to town, his best football was played here prior to keane taking over so i think its a great deal for the club. It could be the finacial boost to clinch the Chopra deal finally...so .....one of Keanes boys for captain?...going to be Leadbitter i reckon!
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Oxblue added 13:49 - Aug 4 3 Mill a great bit buisness! a good player who always gave his all but will struggle at a much higher level. Chopra in me thinks with another suprise big name before the window shuts. COYB!!
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laity_2008 added 13:49 - Aug 4 Very good buissnes indeed £ 3 million and would much rather see edwards out there , if not peters and bring in a rb. Cum on keano that's sign chopra COYB !!!!!
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Youth added 13:50 - Aug 4 good luck walters...use the money keano..well excited for first game..leadbitter for captain
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bluelady added 13:51 - Aug 4 Johnthebass - two players you havent heard of, Kennedy is a very well known player so not sure i agree with you there. however i do agree that if he is going then we really need to find decent replacements and quick! Maybe a decent right back and play Jamie P right mid, definately a striker or 2 and personally think we need a creative midfielder to replace Garvin!
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ThatMuhrenCross added 13:52 - Aug 4 Good bit of business. He deserves his shot at the Premier League. I can only wish him well. He has been a fantastic servant to the club, and he will leave in a very honourable way. He knew it would be too much for the fans to take by handing in a transfer request, so just bided his time, and waited for the club to allow him a move. It just goes to show what hard-work from a player can achieve. Of course, this now opens up an opportunity for the likes of Lee Martin, Carlos Edwards, Luca Civelli, Reggie Lambe and Jaime Peters to all go out and step up to the plate. And, as has already been mentioned by other posters, this could pave the way for Michael Chopra (and perhaps one or two others with Garvan and Bruce having gone). Good luck to yer son!!!

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gypo added 13:52 - Aug 4 Here we go chopra and whittingham double swoop, already had funds for chops surely.
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JimBaxter added 13:53 - Aug 4 Never, ever a Premiership player - Stoke have more money than sense - I would bite their hand off
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dreblue added 13:53 - Aug 4 I am basically in 2 minds about this.... I kind of dont want believe this as surely this weakenss our squad massively with our first game of the season on SATURDAY!!!! The way the transfer market has gone for RK since joining us, I can just see us selling him with something strong placed for Chopra but at the last minute it falls through and Roy comes out and says "thats football...!! I'm happy with my squad of 13 and the 5 players i said I dont want" I hate to sound even slightly negative but when ur 4 days away from the first game of the season, with injuries, more players gone than come in (one of them bn a keeper!!) and all our targets have failed so far!! I cant say i'm too optimistic!! Going to be massive test on Sat but I suppose all we can so is cheer them on and hope for the best!! COYB!!!

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Nunn_the_Wiser added 13:53 - Aug 4 Should suit Stokes style of play quite nicely, We're getting a great deal here for a player who misses on average 45 guilt edge chances a game.
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bluelady added 13:54 - Aug 4 oh and i reckon it will be Kennedy for captain, Leadbitter is just a little too firey.... didnt it go to Norris recently when Walters was 'ill' ? makes you think was the illness real or a fall out?
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8ashblue added 13:54 - Aug 4 This is good business for the Club and JW. I dont think that its anything to do with RK, he wanted to try his luck at the top and he deserves it too. He's always wanted to return home so for him its too good to miss. Certainly Town have no excuses not to sign Chopra or even Whittingham! As for captain, i can see McAuley getting armband back. he was great last year and is more likely to be picked every week. Norris could be next best.

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bleedblue added 13:57 - Aug 4 great business. he will do well in the prem.
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ipswichsupporter88 added 13:57 - Aug 4 this might seem a little off topic- but is that conor hourine dude any good? ive never seen him play but i see him as a bit of a jack colback??? am i right?
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hucks216 added 13:57 - Aug 4 If we sell Walters as we need this money to sign a player (i.e. Chopra) then where is the money going to come from to sign all the other players we need?
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MyBlueHeaven added 13:58 - Aug 4 was there a sell-on clause when we bought him from chester? and if so... will the club be making a payment to the 'phoenix' chester club?
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bluelady added 13:59 - Aug 4 ipswichsupporter88 he has a way to go but looked committed last night and not afraid to get stuck in. Played a less attaching role then Colback, but think he may well come good. The best for me was Troy Brown, looked a top player. BTW any news on Fulop????
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laity_2008 added 14:00 - Aug 4 Very good buisness £3 million. Let's hope we c some activity in these last remaining days up to the start of the season COYB !!!!!!!!
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Seasonticketsteve added 14:00 - Aug 4 Your right myblueheaven, Chester do have a 20% sell on clause I am 99% sure of, still £2.4 million into the kitty
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Mungo added 14:01 - Aug 4 Decent money for one of our better players (top scorer last year) and will take a big chunk out of the wage bill as well. Sad to see JW go and wish him all the best in the Premiership. Wish I had more faith in RK to spend the money wisely, but I'm sorry, that ship has sailed for me! Prove me wrong Keano by all means... Also looking forward to hearing Clegg's explanation as to why some of our season tickets are more expensive than those of top end premiership teams. Seems ludicrously excessive for a Championship team, even more so when you take into account the dross on display last season (and probably this season!) What happened to the plan to fill the stadium every week? Apologies to all for the negative feel of this post!

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CavendishBlue added 14:02 - Aug 4 Great business if we can pull it off.Especially in a week when we have seen a former £2m valued player leave for a tenth of that. RE : season ticket.I would say that there would be zero chnace of getting the ticket at that or any price as that section is very small and would rarely become available. In countless other areas our great club is head and shoulders above the opposition, so why focus on the worst aspect. Leadbitter for captain with Chopra and Whittingham in for £4.5m or less and job well done I would say.

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Vic added 14:03 - Aug 4 If the fee is anything like the £3 mill mentioned here then take the money - please! But also - please - use the money to get 2 other players in - £1.5 mill to ensure the XChopra deal goes through & the other £1.5 mill should secure a decent RB I reckon.
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JetaimePeters added 14:04 - Aug 4 Our best player through the Magilton/early Keane era but perhaps not suited to our new style which requires more clinical finishing - and very much suited to Stoke's. Unquestionable work rate but burdened by being captain, never being settled off the pitch and not used every time as a right winger. A great bit of business which hopefully leads to Chopra's arrival. Also with Norris or Leadbitter available as much more suitable captains (especially Grant), I reckon this will evolve the team in to Mean Keane's Unstoppable Machine. Anything against Middlesbrough Saturday and the negativity has to stop.

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cornishnick added 14:04 - Aug 4 Regarding sell on clause to Chester, they were wound up earlier this year
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