Championship side Stoke City have joined a lineup of a host of clubs who are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Henri Lansbury. The midfielder, 30, has gone way down the pecking order at Villa Park and does not see the possibility of featuring for the club on a consistent basis anymore. This has led to talks of him wanting to leave the Premier League side with a host of clubs, mostly Championship outfits, quieting up to get his signature.

Henri’s contract with Aston Villa will expire at the end of this campaign and there are no signs currently that the club want to offer him another deal. He would be available for a cheap amount this January should the club deem it fit to let him go in this transfer window.

According to Nick Mashiter, a reporter, there are a lot of clubs who want to snap up the former Nottingham Forest man and they have continued to monitor how developments continue to unfold at Villa Park. Reading, Bristol City, Watford, and Stoke are the clubs who have been mentioned to have registered interest in the midfielder but it remains to be seen which of the clubs he will likely choose as his destination in a case where he leaves Aston Villa.

According to Nick, the player will not be getting a new contract offer from Villa, and to achieve his desire of getting more football minutes, the best thing he can do is to eventually leave the club. Joining any of the four listed clubs above would definitely make sense for Lansbury given that he would almost certainly slot into the starting XI of anyone he sends up joining. This would give him more opportunities on the field to show what he is still capable of as well.