As reported by The Stoke Sentinel this morning, Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has refused to be pressured into making a decision over his long-term future at the Potteries.
The 27 year-old goalkeeper was strongly linked with a move to Liverpool ahead of the January transfer window – as reported by Mirror Football in November – as Brendan Rodgers sought an alternative to out-of-form No.1 Simon Mignolet.
Begovic has been associated with big clubs before. Last summer for example, The Daily Star alleged interest from Arsenal and La Liga giants Real Madrid. But his move into the European elite could well happen this summer, as his contract at the Britannia Stadium enters its final twelve months.
Now, the Bosnian international is keen to delay any talks over a new deal with Stoke until the end of the season.
“We’ll do the talking in the next couple of months going into the summer and then see where we are,” he said
“I let my representatives and the club’s hierarchy deal with most of these kinds of things and see if we can come to an agreement. I’ve obviously had a great time here. I’m enjoying myself, so let’s see what we can do,” he added.
Should the Potters lose their No.1 this summer, however, it’ll hardly be the biggest blow to their squad. They’ve had England prodigy Jack Butland waiting in the wings for some time and extended his contract until 2019 last month – as reported by the Daily Mail.