Stoke City boss Mark Hughes insists Joe Allen is not for sale.

The midfielder is a target for West Ham ahead of the January market.

But Hughes said today: "It is the first I have heard of that, but it wouldn't surprise me because he has been impressive this year.

"We can't afford to lose a player of Joe's quality - he is working exceptionally hard for us and we are really pleased with what he is producing for us at the moment.

"We won't be encouraging any bids for any of our key players, especially not in January, that is for certain."