POTTERS KNOCK BACK BOCAT BID

Defender Eric to remain at the bet365 Stadium after loan offer from Belgian club is turned down

- Peter Smith

STOKE City have rejected a cheeky loan bid from Standard Liege for Eric Bocat.

The Belgian transfer market was open until midnight on Monday and Stoke, whose summer window closed a week previously, are still allowed to do outgoing business in that scenario.

Standard tried a free loan move for Bocat, main picture, who has been understudy to Aaron Cresswell at left-back in the first four league games of the season, but that wasn't going to tempt Stoke because they wouldn't have been able to go into the market to sign a replacement.

Standard didn’t end up signing either of the defenders they were hoping to get at the 11th hour, with a move for Pakhtakor Tashkent’s Mukhammadrasul Abdumazhidov also ultimately coming to nothing.