Afellay on verge of new Stoke contract

Ibrahim Afellay may have just come back from a serious knee injury but the Dutchman is close to earning a new contract at Stoke City, according to boss Mark Hughes.

The 30-year-old was a revelation in his first season at Stoke, successfully converting into a central midfielder and fitting in nicely alongside Glenn Whelan.

But a cruciate knee ligament injury forced him to miss the first half of the season, only recently returning to action – with the Potters ninth in the Premier League table.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Afellay, who joined from Barcelona in 2015, is out of contract this summer but Hughes already has plans to sit down and thrash out a new deal.

“There was always a case that we needed to make sure he was coming back fit and strong,” said Hughes.

“He’s displaying that, so I don’t suppose there’s any issue in terms of my thinking whether he’s one that’s important to recontract if we can.

“But I’m not sure we’re at the stage where we’re looking to sit around the table yet because he’s only played one or two games.”