As Stoke's City underwhelming season begins to come to an end, manager Nathan Jones will be eager for the summer to come sooner rather than later as he looks to rebuild his squad.

The former Luton manager has tried his best to get his current set of players playing the way that he wants them to, and after losing just two of their last 13 games, things are slowly but surely starting to improve.

You have to feel that, when the Welshman gets his feet properly under the table in the summer, then Stoke could be a real force to be reckoned with next season.

Plenty of players are likely to come and go in the summer, and one player who could be set for a summer departure is midfielder Joe Allen.

The Wales international, who has made over 120 appearances for the Potters since his move from Liverpool in 2016, is attracting the interest from Watford and West Ham United ahead of the summer.

The latter are reportedly preparing an offer to land the creative midfielder, and despite enduring an underwhelming season by his standards, the midfielder is likely to go for a lot of money in the summer.

Here, we take a look at three replacements that Stoke really should be considering if he were to leave.

Alan Browne

If Allen were to depart, then Stoke are likely to recieve a lot of money for him, therefore Browne should be a player that they look to replace him with.

The midfielder has been influential for Preston North End this season, scoring an impressive 11 goals from midfield and adding a further four assists.

At 24 years of age, he is yet to hit his prime years, and the creative midfielder would be the perfect replacement for Allen.

Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu

Mpanzu is a player that Jones will know extremely well, and should also be a player that Stoke look to replace Allen with.

The 25-year old was a regular for Jones during his tenure of Luton Town, playing an integral role in the Hatters' promotion from League Two and rise up the League One table this term.

He may not contribute to as many goals as Allen, but the tenacious, combative midfielder would add some real energy to the Stoke midfield, and is a similar type of player to Peter Etebo.

Alex Mowatt

If Barnsley do not get promoted this term, then Mowatt could well be on his way out of Oakwell after a superb campaign thus far.

The former Leeds man has really stepped up to the plate since the departure of Brad Potts to Preston North End, scoring three goals in his last five games to take his tally up to eight goals and six assists for the season.

Able to play further back or in behind the striker, the box-to-box midfielder would be an excellent option for the Potters.