Stoke Defender Muniesa Nearing Exit Door as La Liga New Boys Girona Refuse to Rule Out Transfer
Stoke are reportedly ready to end their four-year association with Marc Muniesa as a transfer to La Liga new boys Girona edges closer.
The Stoke Sentinel has alleged that the Potters have allowed the 25-year-old to hold talks with the Catalan outfit ahead of their first ever season in the Spanish top tier.
Muniesa has fallen down the pecking order at Stoke following the arrival of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea on loan and with the impending £7m permanent acquisition of last season's loanee Bruno Martins-Indi.
PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
With game time already at a premium throughout the 2016/17 campaign, the centre-back has decided to call time on his career at the Bet365 stadium and could move to Girona within the coming days.
Delfi Geli, Girona's president, had been quoted stating his desire to bring Muniesa to the Estadi Montolivo this summer as he edges towards the exit door.
He said: "Muniesa is a possibility but not the only one. He could arrive at Girona."
Muniesa will be well equipped to deal with a transition back to his homeland having come through Barcelona's famed La Masia youth academy.
The defender made four senior appearances for La Blaugrana before he was snapped up by Stoke on a free transfer in July 2013, with Muniesa becoming the second signing of the Mark Hughes era in Staffordshire.
Despite making 67 appearances in all competitions for Stoke, Muniesa only featured 15 times under Hughes last term and, while 12 of those came from the start, he struggled to appear from the bench or even make the 18-man matchday squad on a regular basis under the Welshman.
A series of niggling hamstring injuries have plagued Muniesa's time in the Premier League - problems that haven't helped him feature more often - but his time at the club could be at an end in the near future.
Southampton and Real Betis were keen on Muniesa in January, but Hughes prevented him from leaving over a dearth of options in defence around that time.
