Gary Rowett has admitted that it will be hard to stop Jack Butland from leaving Stoke if an offer comes in from a big Premier League club this summer.

The goalkeeper was visibly upset when the Potters' relegation from the top flight was confirmed last season and will evidently be one of the best in the Championship if he stays put.

A stopper of good quality, though, other clubs are bound to be keen on signing him this summer and Rowett has admitted that it will be hard to stop him from going if an offer comes in.

He did, however, say that if a bid is too late, the club will reject any advances as it will give them less time to try and rejig the squad.

As quoted by Stoke on Trent Live, Rowett said:

“We want to try and keep our best players, but there’s times all across Europe where occasionally a deal will get done where everybody thinks it makes sense.

“Any of those deals, you can’t control when they happen, but if we get to the last few days of the window, it wouldn’t be something we’d entertain.”

The Verdict

This is honest from Rowett and it's fair to say most Stoke fans would agree that it will be hard to stop Butland moving on if certain clubs come in.

Rowett has said that an offer will need to happen sooner rather than later, though, and so it remains to be seen if any potential suitors move to take the plunge.

Thoughts, Potters fans? Let us know below!