Stoke City's need for new players before Friday's deadline has eased somewhat after a fine run of form in the past month that has seen the team move seven points clear of the relegation zone.

However, whilst wholesale changes aren't going to happen, a few new faces could arrive and reporter Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Potters are in 'pole position' to land Aston Villa's James Chester.

The former Wales international is down the pecking order at Villa Park and that, combined with injuries, have seem him struggle for appearances this season.

Therefore, he may be open to a move in the coming days and he would add a lot to Michael O'Neill's squad.

Even though Danny Batth and Liam Lindsay have performed well in recent weeks, conceding soft goals has been a problem for Stoke this season and it's something Chester could address.

Do you know where these 15 ex-Stoke City players are playing now?

And, it's fair to say his potential arrival pleased most fans. Here we look at some of the comments from Twitter...