- Everton monitoring John Stones as Man City contract talks reportedly stall.
- David Moyes is reportedly keen on a reunion with the England international.
- Stones could join Everton as a free agent at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton are reportedly on alert following the breaking news that John Stones is not expected to be offered a new contract by Manchester City.
His current deal at the Etihad expires at the end of June, and so the 31-year-old England stalwart looks destined to become one of the most high-profile free agents of this summer’s window.
A homecoming?
Stones, who left Goodison Park for City for a then-record £47.5m transfer in 2016, has had a trophy-laden decade under Pep Guardiola, winning 17 major trophies.
But a shift in recruitment strategy under Man City’s new Sporting Director, Hugo Viana and Stones’ recurring fitness struggles, may have signalled the end of his time at the Etihad.
Sources close to Everton suggest that David Moyes – the man who originally brought Stones to Everton from Barnsley back in 2013 – is the main driving force behind this reported interest.
Moyes has made it clear he wants to add elite-level experience and leadership to his defence, so Stones would immediately tick that box.
International factor
Despite making only 14 appearances for City this season, Stones is, in Thomas Tuchel’s words, a “world-class exception”. While any move back to Merseyside would be too late to help get him on the plane in June, if he wished to prolong his England career, first-team football at the Hill Dickinson would be a major factor.
Some European heavyweights, like Bayern Munich, are also rumoured to be monitoring the situation, but would the emotional pull of a return to Merseyside be a factor?
For Everton, to land a player of Stones’ calibre and experience on a free would represent a massive statement of intent under TFG. Whether Evertonians would make him welcome is, perhaps, a different matter altogether. .
Stay tuned to ReadEverton for more updates on this developing story.
