Stoke City are confident that they have held off interest from a number of Premier League, Championship and Scottish sides to secure the signing of Nick Powell, Team Talk have reported.

Powell is set to leave Wigan Athletic in the summer following the expiration of his contract at the DW Stadium, something which appears to have sparked a scramble for his signature.

It seems however that his next destination will be The Potteries, with it now being reported that Stoke believe they have secured his signature, despite interest in Powell from Championship rivals Blackburn, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough, as well as Premier League sides Brighton, Burnley and Newcastle, and Scottish champions Celtic.

The 25-year-old first spent a season long loan at Wigan during the 2013/14 campaign, before joining on a permanent deal from Manchester United, making a total of 140 appearances and scoring 41 goals in all competitions for the Latics.

The Sun reported last month that Powell had turned down a £1 million-a-year contract offer from Wigan to keep him at The DW Stadium.

The verdict

Powell's signing was always going to be a boost for Stoke given his attacking threat and their goal scoring troubles last season, but this latest news appears to have turned the transfer into a real coup.

Beating off Championship rivals is one thing, but holding off top tier clubs - and one in Celtic that can offer European football - is an indicator of just what Powell must believe is possible at Stoke this season.

It should give the club a huge amount of confidence, both for the rest of the summer transfer window, and the coming campaign.