Stoke Prepared to Let Arsenal and Liverpool Target Leave for Right Price

Stoke City will not stand in the way of Asmir Begovic joining one of the top sides in the Premier League but remain hopeful that he will remain at the Britannia beyond this summer.

The 25 year old is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the top flight after another excellent season with Stoke and has been consistently linked with a move away from the club since they signed Jack Butland in January.

Butland remained at Birmingham City in the second half of the season but will join up with his new team-mates at Stoke this summer. Already an England international, he would certainly hope to convince new manager Mark Hughes that he deserves a chance at being the club's number one.

Stoke would prefer to keep Begovic at the club, despite reported interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, but chairman Peter Coates has admitted that if the right offer arrived, from a top club, then they allow the keeper to leave.

"We think we've got as good as any goalkeeper in the Premier League. He's better than nearly everyone I can think of, so these guys will be in demand," Coates told The Independent.

"He's very ambitious and wants to do well. I don't think a football club can stand in the way of Manchester United and that ilk. If they come in for him and the money is okay for us we would do it, but there is no pressure to sell.

"Asmir might get approached and we might feel he should be let go. We expect him to be here next year."

Manchester United have previously been linked with the Bosnian but David de Gea appeared to have silenced his critics and it is believed he will remain the number one at Old Trafford for many years to come.

Arsenal and Liverpool have also been linked with Begovic and it would be unlikely that Stoke would prevent him from joining one of these clubs if they offered the reported £12m that the Potters are demanding.

Arsenal are believed to be interested in finding a new number one after an inconsistent season from Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, while Liverpool have been linked with numerous keepers due to speculation over the future of their number one Pepe Reina.

The final decision will no doubt come down to Stoke's new manager Hughes who may well decide that with Butland in reserve, the money from Begovic's sale could be better spent on improving the squad in other areas.