Stoke City Deny Deal Done for Asmir Begovic

With Pepe Reina's future uncertain for seemingly the entire season, the summer was always going to promise some sort of speculation about the goalkeeping position at Liverpool. Links to Michel Vorm won't go away, and just yesterday there appeared to be something resembling a resolution--Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic reportedly told Bosnian media that he was looking forward to joining Liverpool in the preseason, indicating that an exit for Reina was on its way and Liverpool would start the 2013-2014 season with a new number one.

Only it hasn't really turned out that way today, with Stoke City's Chief Executive Tony Scholes denying that there's a deal in place, claiming that Begovic's agent quickly contacted the club to dismiss the story and that the entire thing is the stuff of fantasy:

"Asmir's agent rang me as soon as these stories surfaced. He assures me that Asmir doesn't know the Bosnian journalist and has certainly never spoken to him. It's complete fabrication and unfortunately it has been picked up by a paper in this country. It's inevitable when a manager parts company with a Club that there's a period of uncertainty and erroneous newspaper reports certainly don't help matters."

It all goes to strengthen the notion that this is going to be one of the messier and more uncomfortable transfer sagas of the summer; Pepe Reina's the sentimental favorite for many despite the dip in form he's experienced, and with Barcelona's interest lingering--or out in the open or not existing at all--there's no telling what the club will or won't be doing.

But a move for Begovic would be welcomed by most, and Scholes' firm denials don't necessarily mean that a move is completely off the table. It just means that for now, as with everything else, we don't have the foggiest idea of what's going on until it's either in the process of happening or already happened. I think.