Stoke manager Mark Hughes is happy to still have Jon Walters
Thursday 10 September 2015 17:12, UK
Mark Hughes insists Jon Walters remains firmly in his plans, despite the player seeking to leave Stoke prior to the end of the transfer window.
Walters is in the final year of his contract with the Potters but has been unable to find common ground with the club over the length and terms of an extension.
The 31-year-old handed in a transfer request last month in an effort to force a move and was the subject of two bids from Norwich City, but both were rejected and he remains a Stoke player.
Walters was left out of the squad against West Brom at the end of last month as speculation over a move intensified but Hughes will recall him for Saturday's trip to Arsenal and has no reservations over the Republic of Ireland international's frame of mind.
"His immediate future and his future at the weekend is that he will be involved with our game against Arsenal," the Welshman said.
"Jon's not the only player that's gone through a similar situation during the transfer window. Once the window closes you have to refocus and get on with the job in hand.
"Jon's a very, very good professional. He'll get his head down. He's had a couple of weeks away with the international squad, did really well and scored a goal so it shows his focus was total for his international team. It will be similar for Stoke City; I'm absolutely certain of that.
"The transfer window is not easy for players, for managers, for football clubs. It is a distraction.
"Once the distraction is out of the way, then you focus on what's important which is playing football."
Walters has been unwilling to accept a one-year extension with Stoke and the board are reluctant to offer him a longer contract, but Hughes remains adamant he wants the experienced forward to stay.
"I've said that until I'm blue in the face - yes, we want Jon to stay," Hughes added.
"There's a club view in terms of the length of the contract but, from a football point of view, what's important to me is that we keep Jon here if we can.
"If we can't come to any agreement contract-wise, then at the end of the year he's out of contract and I'm sure he'll have lots of options.
"But I'd like to think we'd still be in the mix to keep him here even at the end of his contract. It's our intention that we want to keep him here."
Mame Diouf and Marko Arnautovic are doubtful for the Gunners clash with respective hamstring and ankle injuries, while full-back Glen Johnson is also nursing a slight groin problem.
Hughes is already without suspended duo Charlie Adam and Ibrahim Afellay after they were dismissed in the home loss to West Brom.
