Report: Stoke City monitoring FC Porto's Giannelli Imbula

To see a list of completed deals in the January window thus far, visit theScore's Premier League transfer tracker.

Sitting in seventh place in the Premier League table on the cusp of qualifying for European football, Stoke City has reportedly set its sights on young Porto defensive midfielder Giannelli Imbula.

Imbula, 23, joined the Portuguese giants during the summer from Marseille on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €20 million, though his tenure with Porto could be nearing its end, according to a report from L'Equipe.

Stoke are thought to be among four English top-flight sides intrigued by Imbula, joining West Brom, Southampton, and Aston Villa as parties interested in the Guingamp academy product.

As skilled with the ball as without, Imbula's potential transfer would strengthen an area of concern for Potters gaffer Mark Hughes.

With the summer moves for Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay and the form of reinvigorated attacker Marko Arnautovic, Hughes is looking for a midfielder to complement and sit behind playmaker Bojan Krkic.

The arrival of the French Under-21 standout would also spell relief for Irish defensive midfielder Glenn Whelan, who at 32, has appeared off the pace in a handful of matches this season.

Imbula has featured in 10 league matches for Porto this season paired with five Champions League appearances for the side that currently sit third in the Primeira Liga table.