Stoke City sell Giannelli Imbula to Ligue 1 side

Stoke City have granted French club Toulouse permission to speak to out-of-favour defensive midfielder Giannelli Imbula and the player has signed a deal with the French club. The French midfield enforcer has slipped down the pecking order at the Potters.

Mark Hughes has given Imbula permission to speak to Toulouse this afternoon ahead of a 9.5 million euro transfer move back to France. The 24-year-old has struggled since his arrival in the Premier League, with Hughes preferring to partner Joe Allen and Charlie Adam in the middle of the park.

Imbulla, who arrived only last year in a transfer deal from Porto, will be delighted to return to France where he had a successful 7 years playing for Guingamp and Marseille. 

The Belgium-born midfielder has been offered a four year contract to move to Ligue 1 and Stoke City will take a loss on the sale of Imbula, who had requested a transfer away from the club just last week.

Stoke City are not expected to make a replacement signing for Imbula on transfer deadline day.