Stoke chairman Peter Coates, whilst keen to tie up a deal for Jermaine Pennant, does have other targets in mind. The Potters have been taken aback by Real Zaragoza's asking price for loan star Pennant, with the Spaniards keen to bring in £6million, a figure the Potters refuse to consider.
He has, however, started to make contingency plans, with Birmingham's Swedish midfielder Sebastian Larsson a possible target should a deal for Pennant fail to materialise.
Coates said: "Larsson is a possibility but we have to see how we get on with Jermaine first.
"We're on the case and hope we can do something.
"There's some way to go and with a bit of luck he'll stay. We'd like him to stay, that part's good - it's the other messy bit we have to sort out.
"We won't be paying £6m, it's a totally unrealistic figure from our point of view."
