Transfer Centre

Mark Hughes "not anticipating" Asmir Begovic, Ryan Shawcross bids in January

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 31 December 2014

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says that he "does not anticipate" any bids to be made for the services of Ryan Shawcross and Asmir Begovic in the New Year.

Mark Hughes has revealed that Stoke City have yet to receive any bids for star performers Asmir Begovic and Ryan Shawcross, insisting that the duo are not for sale.

The Potters sit just six points off a place in the top six heading into the New Year, although the Welshman has already hinted that he may tighten the purse strings when the transfer window reopens later this week.

Hughes is also reluctant to allow any of his first-team players to leave the Britannia Stadium, including goalkeeper Begovic who has 18 months remaining on his current deal.

"There's speculation about the best players at most clubs and the two you mentioned are in that bracket from our point of view," ESPN quotes him as saying.

"We're not encouraging any bids on any of our players and that won't change in January and it won't change in the summer. Other clubs might have something to say about that and they may be persistent but we've had no bids for those two players up to this point and I don't anticipate we will have bids in the January window either."

Hughes also confirmed that in-form summer signing Bojan Krkic could miss the New Year's Day meeting against Manchester United through injury.