Towards the end of December, the Derby Telegraph said that Stoke City were “desperate” to retain the services of on-loan Derby keeper Lee Grant. Now, according to the Mail Online, this is a certainty after the two clubs agreed a fee for the experienced stopper.
Grant, who has played 14 Premier League games whilst on loan at the Potteries-based club, will move on a permanent deal after Derby dropped their reported £4m demands for the 33-year-old experienced keeper.
Instead, The Mail Online say that the sealing of the permanent deal will come about after “Derby County accepted a deal worth £1.5m plus £750,000 in potential add-ons.” THis agreement is said to bring to an end weeks of haggling over Grant’s worth with Stoke boss Mark Hughes saying that they wouldn’t be held to ransom over a transfer.
Grant joined The Potters on an initial six-month loan deal in August to cover for injured keeper Jack Butland who has been out of action with a broken ankle since March and the veteran keeper has impressed for Mark Hughes’ side. During his 14 Premier League appearances, the former England Under-21 keeper has conceded 18 times but has also kept five clean sheets.
In past interviews, as quoted in the Mail Online article, Grant’s consistency and displays have been well received by Potters’ boss Mark Hughes, the former Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea player saying: “It was a great opportunity for him but from our point of view it was a shot in the dark to a certain extent. It shouldn’t have been really if you look at his career, he has a lot of games behind him at a good Championship level. But you never know until players actually experience playing in the Premier League against the top teams and probably the watershed for him was the Man United game, where he convinced himself.”
