Stoke City have denied reports that midfielder Bojan has been told he can leave the club, following claims that he was no longer in the first team plans of manager Nathan Jones.

Earlier on Thursday The Stoke Sentinel had reported that Bojan had been told he would be allowed to leave the club in the summer transfer window, but the club themselves have now denied that.

In a statement on the Stoke's official website, the club said: "Whilst conversations have taken place between Jones, Bojan and a number of other players who are currently under contract with the Potters about their futures, those individuals have certainly not been told that their City careers are over."

The statement also quoted Jones' own take on events, with the Stoke manager adding: “As is normal at the end of every season I have had honest and amicable conversations with several players, including Bojan, about the direction we want to move forward but, contrary to reports, none of them have been told that they don’t have a future with us."

Jones did admit that Bojan's future at the club is uncertain, but denied that it was over completely, claiming: “We were honest with each other. Bojan has been frustrated at his lack of game time and he suggested that it might be better if he looked for a fresh challenge elsewhere at this stage of his career and I agreed with him.

“But to suggest that I’ve told him he has no future at the Club is ludicrous. Quite frankly the way this has been presented is wrong."

The Stoke manager also confirmed that Bojan, who has 12 months remaining on his contract with the club, would be "welcomed back with open arms" if he is unable to find another club during the summer.

The Spaniard has made 85 appearances for Stoke since joining from Barcelona, but has completed the full 90 minutes of a match just once in The Championship this season.

The Verdict

Bojan is a popular figure among Stoke fans, so this may well go down positively among the club's fanbase.

Given what Jones has said here however, and when you look at Bojan's record this season, things still don't look particularly positive when it comes to his future prospects at the bet365 Stadium.

Thoughts? Let us know!