Stoke City boss Tony Pulis believes he can land Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland for £5 million.
The Daily Star says although he was valued at £10m only last summer - as part of the £25m deal which took James Milner to City - Villa are willing to cut their losses and sell him for half that sum in January.
Ireland currently picks up wages of around £50,000 a week at Villa and is one of the club's highest-paid players.
Pulis is desperate to add a cultured playmaker to his squad and Ireland fits the bill.
