There was considerable interest at the time, with clubs such as Aberdeen and Huddersfield Twon interested in securing his services. However, due to the interest, Stoke suddenly demanded £200,000 for him, after previously saying he could move for free. unsurprisingly, no one stumped up the cash.
With his contract ending in the summer they've decided to get rid of him now. Brighton have signed him until the end of the season in the hope that he will fire them back into division 1.
Story source: BBC Sport