Stoke to rival Arsenal and Monaco for ‘new Carlos Tevez’
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After hammering Liverpool 6-1 at the weekend it may seem Stoke City are in little need of additional firepower but that hasn’t put manager Mark Hughes off the transfer trail.
The Potters boss is in the market for a new striker and may have unearthed a new talent in South America in the shape of Jonathan Calleri.
The 21-year-old Boca Juniors ace has netted five goals this term despite limited opportunities in the first team.
Likened to Carlos Tevez for his dogged determination, the forward has also attracted attention from the likes of Arsenal, Monaco, Valencia and Palermo but Hughes is hopeful that the potential for first team opportunities could yet lure Calleri to the Britannia Stadium.
News of Hughes’ interest in Calleri follows reports suggesting the Welshman is in the midst of a South American scouting operation, with Velez Sarsfield midfielder Lucas Romero and Independiente duo Lucas Albertengo and Federico Mancuello also rumoured targets.
Boca are said to want £6.5m for the youngster and reports in Argentina suggest that bids of that nature will be met with little resistance.
Hughes guided the Potters to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League this season, their joint highest finish since the league’s inception in 1992 and if the manager is to build on that next term then exciting young talents like Calleri will be a welcome addition to the playing squad.
Should Stoke fail in their attempts to land Calleri, Hughes could look closer to home and make a bid for Manchester City striker John Guidetti.
The Swede has impressed while on loan at Celtic and after putting Sporting Lisbon off with his contract demands the 23-year-old’s future remains unresolved.
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