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

SiBo added 16:49 - Aug 4 At £3m bite their hands off... Walters has been a decent player for us since he joined and had one (Yes 1) really good season. If he could finish, he'd be worth a lot more than £3m, but he can't... and you can't blame RK for movin him around... it was Magilton who started that rubbish! Although if you remember what really happened, it was: Magilton signed him as a Forward; played him as a forward and Walters was.... well unspectacular to say the least; we then had loads of midfield injuries and Magilton used him on the right wing; He looked very good, so he stayed there until we had left midfield injuries, so Magilton tried him there... not a good position for Walters, so he then went back up front, where he again looked light weight, before returning to the right midfield berth and looking good again. The fact he played on the ight in the first place was due to others injuries (Similar to Delaney's move into the centre)... anyway, he always worked hard, and I wish him well in the future but he is NOT worth £3m. As far as the captaincy is concerned, I would opt for Norris... firstly he's done it before at Plymouth and it suited him there (It doesn't suit ALL players being Captain) and secondly he is more vocal than Leadbitter who would be the other choice... (Not McAuley as he didn't play well when hewas captain before, leave him to run the defence and not worry about the rest...)

0

legoman added 16:59 - Aug 4 I think norris would be a good choice sibo. Might even improve his performances.
0

tractormarch10 added 17:13 - Aug 4 Am I the only person who is worried Keane is selling one of our more experienced and better players (ok he didn't have the best season last year, but apart from 2 or 3 players, most of our team was poor) 3 DAYS before the new season with no likely replacement on the cards????
0

arc added 17:13 - Aug 4 If Chester are owed a sell-on clause and there is no one to claim it, I suggest we give the money to the St John's Ambulance.
0

joeippy01 added 17:16 - Aug 4 LEEDS HAVE RELEASED TRESOR KANDOL, MEANING HE IS NOW A FREE TRANSFER, KEANE SIGN HIM UP! KANDOL AND WICKHAM UP FRONT WHAT A PAIRING!
0

naa added 17:19 - Aug 4 £3m is good business. However, as other have said, and others have hoped and others have seemed to think is already sealed - this sale will be bad business if it doesn't lead to replacements. We have nothing at right-back (JP isn't really a right-back anyway, and we have no cover there) very little cover at centre-back, are light up front and two of our strikers have been told they can go and we have no creativity in midfield. I have no idea what Legoman is on but I wish I could have some. To see any postivity in this season (without any major new signings so far) is amazing to say the least. Unless some good deals are done in this transfer window I can't see this season being any better than last year's bore-fest.

0

hucks216 added 17:20 - Aug 4 Budgie fans must be laughing their socks off at the shambles this club has been turned into.
0

onlybluesandhorses added 17:23 - Aug 4 All the best to Jon. If it goes through let's hope we can use the money to get a goalscorer but with Keane anything is possible, maybe another keeper.
0

E18Blue added 17:26 - Aug 4 thanks & good luck to Walters, have serious doubts the fee will be anything like £3m though.... i'm intrigued by all the people saying buy these quality players asap, unfortunately - seems to me that why would any of them want to come and play for us! much as it saddens me we need to get real!!!
0

bluelady added 17:27 - Aug 4 naa agree only all but the centre back comment, think we have good cover here. When Delany is back we will have Delany, Mcauly (please tell me we told Bristol to get lost!) Eastman, Troy Brown and Tommy Smith. Yes relying on youngsters but from what i have seen very cabable ones (Troy to me is way ahead of Eastman in choice but thats personal oppinion). i am sitting here hoping that the goalkeeper hasnt been anounced cause there is a big announcement of a handfull of players.... theni remember thinking the same thing this time last year any minute we will sign someone decent and look what happended.... not a massive Walters fan but without decent replacment we are doomed!

0

DrJeckyll added 17:31 - Aug 4 not only is this one of the most expensive clubs in the country to go and watch but it is also based in an area where wages are low compared to the rest of the south
0

jayessess added 17:48 - Aug 4 we going to play the youth team then? I make that 9 senior outfield players (peters, delaney, mcauley, kennedy, norris, leadbitter, priskin, civelli, edwards) who aren't transfer listed or sold, another 4 kids who I'd expect to feature regularly (O'Connor, Wickham, Hourihane and Hyam). That's it!
0

ipswichfrancis added 17:52 - Aug 4 conspiracy..... RK is selling away the average players, and either brings in below-average players or stop short of signing more.... and he'll walk out of the club leaving us in the lurch....... i'm betting on my last dollar..... he is nuts
0

tractaboy added 17:58 - Aug 4 Bout time we mugged someone in the transfer market instead of paying too much ourselves. Shame to see him go but 3 million! Arm, rip and off.
0

tractaboy added 18:10 - Aug 4 Oh and about the half time beverage in Block D, does it come in a polystyrene cup or a china mug?
0

fourth added 18:15 - Aug 4 I agree entirely with jonthe bass. When we take on our next manager could we please look at his psychological profile. We don't need entrenched siege mentality demanding loyalty from his own narrow "family" base to survive. Do you remember the Robson days of flexible use of talent? Wasn't it joyful?
0

blue_moon09 added 18:28 - Aug 4 140+ posts based on a story theres nothing offical from PR or Stoke about the signing. calm down Whats the obsession with Chopra he won't come here.
0

tractaboy added 18:41 - Aug 4 So lots of talk on the Cardiff forums is that they've signed Jason Koumas as Chops' replacement.
0

BlueArmy01 added 18:45 - Aug 4 So he hates Keane and was the only player Keane raved about........... so that tells you what the others think Still great business in my opinion C ya
0

gloucester_tractor added 19:18 - Aug 4 good player but part of the issue with walters is we need to play him but where and i dont think he does either forward or wide mid that wonderful but is usefull at both
0

bluefishx added 19:19 - Aug 4 3 million is great, but will be highly surprised if we can attract anyone of sufficient quality to make this a good deal in footballing terms. Wonder how many of our players actually want to play for this boss.
0

ITFCKeano added 19:22 - Aug 4 I reckon Keanos got some good cards up his sleeve, you mark my words. Watch the next move, I suspect some of you might be eating humble pie, whether that be the emergence of some great youngsters who now get a chance to shine or some decent quality signings. Granted, he's been getting rid of the dross, but I reckon he's up to something and we'll be pleasantly surprised. BTW, I'm not a pro Keane supporter contrary to my username, but I'm hoping he knows a bigger picture than most on this forum think they do. BTW, where did the Walters story originate from. We seem to get so many rumours with little or no susbstance.

0

hucks216 added 19:26 - Aug 4 I thought Fulop was supposed to be signing on the dotted line today - what has become of that?
0

Youth added 19:26 - Aug 4 i'm with you itfckeano
0

bluepirate added 19:36 - Aug 4 Why would Chopra want to leave one club with no ambition for another??? Selling the heart of the team for nothing, the new manager will have a tough job in a few weeks.
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls