Stoke City are confident of winning the race for Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross.
And today, Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes revealed to the Sentinel: "Ryan's performances have made him a player in high demand. Not surprisingly, therefore, we are in competition for a number of other clubs for his signing.
"However, we are in an advanced stage of negotiations and remain hopeful we will be able to conclude a deal in the near future."