Stephen Ireland has reportedly arrived at the Britannia Stadium ahead of a season-long loan move to Stoke City.
The 27-year-old, who has been deemed surplus to requirements at Aston Villa this season, has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs in recent weeks.
However, according to reports on Twitter, the Republic of Ireland midfielder is close to once more linking up with Potters boss Mark Hughes, who he worked under at Manchester City.
Ireland has recently trained with Villa's development side.
