London, March 18 (IANS): Stoke City coach Mark Hughes has confirmed that the English football club has reached an agreement with Porto to sign Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi.
Martins Indi, 25, is on loan at Stoke from the Portuguese club this season, having played 27 matches in all competitions, reports Efe.
"There's an agreement in terms of a fee. It's just about making sure Bruno understands where we are going and what our ambitions are and hopefully he'll want to be part of that. I think we are very close," Hughes said.
"He's played exceptionally ever since he walked through the door. It's not easy when you come to a new country and a new level, in my view, compared to where he was playing," he pointed out.
"I think we are very close to an agreement, and when it's done I think Bruno can settle and understand where he's going to be in the next few years."