Sources: Stoke City advance in talks to sign Ipswich star George Hirst

Stoke City are advancing in talks over a deal to sign Ipswich Town striker George Hirst, sources have told Football Insider.

The Potters are locked in negotiations over a permanent deal for the 27-year-old, and they hope to complete it in time for their game against Southampton on 22 August.

Hirst will have to be registered by Stoke before 12pm on Friday if he will be able to play against Southampton, with the club now working towards that end.

The striker has been made available by Ipswich after what has been a busy transfer window at Portman Road, placing a number of Championship clubs on high alert.

Stoke are now moving quickest to get a deal over the line, and are likely to beat their rivals in pursuit of the forward who scored 11 goals in 42 appearances last season.

Hirst still has three years left on his contract with Ipswich Town, but they are now open to his permanent exit, and Stoke are edging closer to a full agreement.

Why do Stoke City want to sign George Hirst?

Football Insider exclusively revealed on 31 July that Stoke were plotting a move to sign Hirst, having initially discussed the possbility of a loan with an option to buy.

Sources now say negotiations are taking place over a permanent move, which would see the striker make the switch after three-and-a-half years at Ipswich Town.

A number of clubs in the Championship, the Scottish Premiership, and across Europe have been keeping tabs on his situation, but Stoke are confident of winning the race.

This comes after Mark Robins confessed that younger attackers have been signed for the future, but the club remain keen to add competition for Robert Bozenik and Sam Gallagher.

Meanwhile, Stoke missed multiple chances to score during their 2-1 defeat against Swansea on the opening day of the season, and arre hoping to add a more clinical forward to their squad.

Why are Ipswich Town open to selling Hirst?

Ipswich have opened the door for Hirst to move on permanently as they continue to spend big on reinforcements following their promotion to the Premier League last season.

Football Insider first revealed in April that Ipswich were set for a busy summer as they aimed to overhaul their squad, including the addition of at least two strikers.

Since then, the Tractor Boys have brought in Emersonn in a big-money deal from Toulouse, and completed a permanet move for Chuba Akpom following his loan spell.

Gary O'Neill has made sweeping changes to his squad, with 12 new arrivals through the door so far, and Hirst is one of a number of players to be pushed down the pecking order.

As a result, the door has been opened for the striker's departure, with multiple sales likely to take place in the weeks before the window closes.