Championship outfit Swansea City believe they are in pole position to recruit former Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen, as per a report from Wales Online.

The 32-year-old has officially left the bet365 Stadium following the expiration of his contract in Staffordshire, turning down fresh terms from the Potters to seek a move elsewhere.

Several sides have been linked with a move for the Welshman in recent weeks including Huddersfield Town, with Carlos Corberan thought to be weighing up the possibility of bringing him to the John Smith's Stadium.

However, it was previously reported by Stoke-on-Trent Live that he sought closer ties to his Welsh roots and with this, the Swans could potentially be given the opportunity to tie their former man down to fresh terms.

It was previously thought that players had to leave the Swansea.com Stadium before they brought anyone in - and with a few first-teamers leaving on the expiration of their deals and Flynn Downes thought to be close to joining Crystal Palace - this could potentially make room for Allen to return to South Wales.

They have been interested in bringing back their former midfielder for at least a couple of months - and Downes' imminent sale looks to be key in getting this agreement over the line.

The Verdict:

The 32-year-old isn't exactly a long-term option for the Swans - but he should have at least one or two more years left in the tank in the second tier and his return would help to compensate for Downes' departure.

Creating a feel-good atmosphere around the club is important, especially when losing a key player so the arrival of Allen won't just be useful for what Swansea want to do on the pitch but also off it.

Considering the Swans want to be pushing for promotion, the off-pitch atmosphere could be crucial and though the Welshman hasn't been able to sustain a promotion push with Stoke in recent years, he can certainly contribute positively to the Welsh side's cause.

Whether Allen is a regular starter or not will probably depend on who else they bring in - because they may have plenty of funds to play with following Downes' sale and could potentially add more depth in the middle of the park because of that.

With Korey Smith leaving and Jay Fulton likely to follow him in the coming months, bringing in more options in this area will be a requirement.