Stoke City are reportedly preparing a £7m bid for centre-back James Chester, having seen their opening offer of £5m rejected by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Villa are under pressure to cut their wage bill this summer due to their financial problems, and Chester is one of a number of players to be linked with a move away from Villa Park.

The 29-year-old, who has two years left to run on his current deal, has scored seven times in 91 league appearances for Villa since a 2016 move from West Bromwich Albion.

Stoke are believed to have launched a £5m offer for Chester on Saturday - which was ultimately rejected - and according to the Daily Mail, the Potters are now preparing a new bid of £7m for the Wales international.

Villa are believed to value Chester, who is also said to be attracting interest from the Premier League, in the region of £10m.