Nzonzi close to Sevilla move

The 26 -year-old- who the two clubs have agreed upon a reported £7 million pound ($10.7million, 9.7million euros) fee -- is to hold talks over his personal terms with the Spanish side.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes said that hard as they had tried there had been no persuading Nzonzi in staying and thus Sevilla were granted permission to speak to him.

"We worked really hard to persuade him his future lay here but it didn't seem to be enough for him," said Hughes.

His sale if it goes through will still represent good business for Stoke as they signed him for just £3million three years ago from Blackburn Rovers when the latter were relegated from the Premier League.

Since then Nzonzi, who joined Rovers from French side Amiens in 2009 when they were relegated to the third tier of French football, played 120 times for Stoke but is no stranger to wishing to leave them having asked for a transfer in 2013 and again in 2014 but had the first one turned down and last year nobody showed any interest in signing him.