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Striker deal in balance
West Ham United, 16:04, June 26, 2009 ,
Despite reports to the contrary Stoke City chairman Peter Coates claims they are not talking to West Ham striker Dean Ashton
It was widely reported on Thursday that the Potters were lining up a move for Ashton over the summer but that is not the case. Coates said: "We are not in talks with him or the club."
While admitting that Stoke manager Tony Pulis was an admirer of Ashton, Coates accused TV reports of "over-egging" the situation when claiming the Potters were already in discussions over signing the former Crewe star.
After an injury plagued few seasons at Upton Park if a club were to come in with an acceptable bid for the striker the likelihood is that he will move on.