Soccer:Stoke have tonight completed the signing of striker Kenwyne Jones in a club record 9.7 million deal from Sunderland. Both clubs confirmed this afternoon that the 25-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international was in talks over a move to the Potteries.
And Stoke boss Tony Pulis has managed to quickly seal the deal, with Jones — who had a short spell on loan at the Britannia Stadium in 2005 — signing a four-year deal.
The fee surpasses the previous record of €7.2 million that Stoke paid to Middlesbrough for defender Robert Huth last summer. Pulis said: “Kenwyne is unplayable on his day, which is why this is a fantastic signing for this football club.
“We need goals in our team and we also need strong competition among our strikers if we are to continue improving at this level. Kenwyne will give us that. It’s no secret that I am one of his biggest admirers. He did a smashing job for us when he was here on loan. He was very young back then but I believe that he has the best years ahead of him as a top striker.”
Jones cited his previous spell with the Potters, where he scored three goals in 13 appearances, as a key factor behind his decision to join the club on a permanent basis.
“The fact that I know the manager, some of the players and the place so well has obviously been an influence upon me coming here,” he said. “This is an exciting new chapter in my career and I want to do my best for a club that has clearly had great success since I was last here.
“I am looking forward to the challenge of helping Stoke build upon the progress they have made over the past two years in the Premier League.”