Stoke City in Talks With Everton Over Ashley Williams Loan Deal

Potters seek to end Wales international’s spell at Goodison Park in temporary switch

Stoke City are in talks with Everton about a season-long loan deal for Ashley Williams.

The veteran centre-back could be the next player to leave Goodison Park – albeit temporarily – according to BBC Sport.

Williams has fallen down the pecking order on Merseyside after a poor season’s worth of form last term.

The 33-year-old’s contract expires in a year’s time and he was thought to be in the shop window after new Blues boss Marco Silva deemed him surplus to requirements.

That has led to the Potters – relegated to the Championship after a decade in the Premier League – to enquire about his availability.

And Stoke now wish to bring Williams to the Bet365 Stadium for the 2018/19 campaign, with Williams thought to be open to the switch.

Everton are looking to bolster their centre-half options this summer, with Barcelona’s Yerry Mina and Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo on their radar.

The possible arrival of either star would almost certainly bring an end to Williams’ hopes of fighting for his future at Goodison.

The Toffees can already call upon Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate in that position and, with the addition of Mina or Rojo, would take their number at centre-back to five.

Ramiro Funes Mori has already left to join Villarreal in that position, and Williams would surely make way too if Everton manage to land another of Silva’s transfer targets.

Stoke need their own reinforcements at the back and manager Gary Rowett has earmarked Williams as the man to lead them back into England’s top flight at the first time of asking.

The Wales international has only recently recuperated from a collapsed lung suffered on duty with his national side in May.

He is more likely to earn minutes in Staffordshire than in L4, and it may be in the interests of all parties to allow Williams to leave if Everton get a replacement in.