Glenn Whelan's days at the Britannia Stadium appear to be numbered.
Darren Fletcher's arrival at the Potters means that Glenn Whelan is likely to be playing his football somewhere else from next season onwards.
The Republic of Ireland international is regarded as one of the best signings in the history of Stoke City. He quickly established himself in the first-team place after making the move from Sheffield Wednesday for just £500,000 in January 2008. He helped Stoke seal promotion to the Premier League before solidifying his place in the starting XI, playing at least 26 games a season for nine straight top-flight campaigns.
However, with his replacement already acquired, Stoke seem content to let him go. It was thought that Aston Villa were the front-runners to land him, but Stoke reportedly want double their initial offer of £500,000.
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The other issue with going to Villa is that they are a Championship club and Whelan is on the verge of playing his 10th-straight season in the Premier League with one year left on his Stoke deal.
However, all hope is not lost yet. Burnley may very well ruin Villa's plans and keep Whelan's English top flight status intact.
The Sun is reporting that Sean Dyche is eyeing up Whelan as a replacement for Joey Barton. Considering how little depth there is in the Clarets midfield, Whelan might very well get more game time at Turf Moor than at Villa Park.
Moving to Burnley would also allow the 33-year-old to join up with the likes of Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady and Stephen Ward.
