Stoke City Put the Breaks on Assaidi Pursuit

Despite Liverpool’s high valuation of Moroccan international Oussama Assaidi, it looked like Stoke City were prepared to play ball over the sale of a player that spent a successful season on loan at the Brittania Stadium. Now, the deal looks to be in jeopardy with lingering injury concerns seeing the Potters pull up full-stop.

If slapping a £7mil price-tag on the 25-year old wasn’t enough of a deterrent, a knee problem that he’s yet to recover from seems to have done the trick. Assaidi is currently in the Netherlands seeking treatment for ligament damage that he picked up after blocking a shot from ex-Red Charlie Adam during a spell of warm weather training in February in Dubai. Although the winger returned in time to play a key role as the Poters confirmed Fulham’s relegation from the Premier League, they’re not 100% sold that the problem won’t be a recurring one.

With his fitness a major concern, reports are suggesting that Stoke boss Mark Hughes isn’t prepared to go ahead with any deal — one that they would have to negotiate anyway considering the reported price tag is over what they’re willing to pay — until the winger is able to prove his fitness. This, of course, comes as a setback to both Assaidi, who is looking for first team football, and Liverpool, who are looking to raise somewhere in the region of £30mil to supplement their own transfer plans.

With Champions League football and the spectre of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules on the horizon, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and the Reds hierarchy will be watching their finances closely to make sure they don’t run afoul of the new regulations. Big money deals for the likes of Southampton captain Adam Lallana and Sevilla fullback Alberto Moreno are expected to funded in part by the departure of a number of bit part or loaned out players from Anfield this summer and this latest news regarding Assaidi could mean that they’ll may have to shop a player that looked to be good and sold.