Stoke City target James Chester would prefer to stay at Aston Villa, according to journalist Neil Moxley via Twitter account @villareport.

Aston Villa have recently had some investment pumped into the club and this means that they are not as desperate to sell their star players to generate much needed funds.

Chester was reportedly on the verge of sealing his move to Stoke and was waiting for the green light to leave before departing but now that the club has been taken over, he wants to remain at Villa Park.

The Wales international has been a vital cog in Aston Villa's defence over the past two seasons, playing just shy of 100 games for the West Midlands outfit after sealing a move from West Bromwich Albion.

The former Manchester United and Hull defender formed a solid partnership with John Terry last season to help his side reach the play-off final, but they were defeated 1-0 by Fulham at Wembley to consign them to a third consecutive year in the second tier.

But now it looks like the 29-year-old is going to stay, despite appearing close to leaving.

The Verdict

This is a major boost for Aston Villa and some welcome good news amid all the doom and gloom.

Losing Chester would have been devastating and it would have left a major hole at the back which would have needed filling.

But the impressive centre-half is now looking likely to stay and play a major role in Aston Villa's promotion push.

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