After enjoying a successful loan spell at the Britannia Stadium last season, Oussama Assaidi could be set for a permanent move to Stoke. According to the Telegraph, Mark Hughes wants to sign the Liverpool winger in a deal that sees the Potters pay an initial fee of £4.5 million.
Assaidi has made a total of 12 appearances for his parent club since joining them in 2012, but only four of them have been in the Premier League. The Reds are in a much better position now than they were a couple of years ago, and so receiving a fee for a player who is not likely to feature much could be a wise move. The fact that the initial fee is said to be around double what they paid for the Morocco international and could rise to £7 million is just an added benefit of the deal.
For Stoke to be willing to pay such figures, however, the Assaidi must have done enough to convince them he is worth it. The winger did impress when he received more regular gametime last season, scoring four times in 19 Premier League games. Suffering ligament damage in February, though, meant that the 25-year-old was unable to display his potential over a whole campaign.
Very much an impact player, Assaidi appears to have earned himself a transfer to Stoke. Being at a club that will cherish him should benefit the Moroccan enormously, but it is up to him to continue to produce the kind of performances that got him there.