- Man City have officially confirmed John Stones will be leaving them after 10 years.
- England international moved to the Etihad in 2016 after three years with Everton.
- Stones has been linked with a return, but would he fit into David Moyes’ side?
John Stones has proven to be one of Everton’s finest pieces of recruitment in the modern era.
He arrived from Barnsley for a fee of £3 million, and the Blues were able to sell him for an outstanding price of nearly £50 million.
After becoming a senior defender for the Toffees at such a young age, he moved to Manchester City, where we has won over ten trophies, including multiple Premier League titles and a Champions League winners medal.
But City have confirmed the defender will leave Pep Guardiola’s side at the end of this season, which means multiple clubs will look to secure the signature of the accomplished centre-half.
Everton is one club that has been linked with Stones, but would he fit in David Moyes’ side?
Everton already have four first-team centre backs
The current Everton squad is abundant with centre backs who feature in the starting XI.
James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Jake O’Brien are the four options Moyes currently has in his ranks, so adding a fifth would certainly pack out his depth in this area.
It is unlikely that Moyes would get rid of any of his current first-team central defenders, with O’Brien and Branthwaite seen to be part of the club’s long-term plans. Tarkowski is the Toffees’ captain, and Keane has just signed a one-year contract extension with the Blues.
But Stones’ quality is a desirable feature of his game, and the Everton boss could be tempted to persuade the 31-year-old to rejoin his old club, in an effort to add an immediate boost of quality to his defence.
John Stones could be a costly free agent
After building a reputable career in Manchester, the defender was rewarded with a six-figure per week contract.
Even though Stones is leaving City as his contract expires, he will likely still ask for a sizeable wage from whoever he decides to sign with.
Everton have already been heavily rumoured to sign Jack Grealish, who will already come tied with an expensive wage, so to recruit another player whose fees will compare similarly to that of the 30-year-old winger could prove to be costly.
The Blues do not want to get themselves caught up in more financial difficulties, so if Stones requests a high wage, this could lead to any potential deal collapsing.
Ultimately, with the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Stones will be fully focused on competing in his third successive World Cup for England, and has not decided on his long-term future.
If Everton are to recruit their former defender, they will face heavy competition and will have to consider where he slots in a packed back line, and the financial implications of such a big move.
