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Man City defender John Stones has been linked with a return to Everton in the summer transfer window.
John Stones has shut down a potential return to Everton.
The defender spent three years at Goodison Park after arriving from Barnsley in 2013. He made 95 appearances before moving to Manchester City for £50 million.
Stones has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time at the Etihad Stadium. However, he has struggled with injury problems in recent seasons. With City aiming to rebuild after finishing third in the league during the 2024-25 season and failing to get their hands on silverware, Stones’ future has been somewhat uncertain.
What’s been said
However, the 31-year-old insisted that he does not want to leave City. Speaking during the Club World Cup, Stones said: “I’m here, I want to stay here, I love it. I’m here to help the team, and I don’t know if what’s been said or speculated, but I hope that kind of shuts it down.”
“There’s been points where you think, you’ve been giving all this effort, you dedicate all your life, especially how I approach or go about my life, and football, I give everything, on and off the pitch to be here or be ready to play games and [there] are the dark days, Everyone’s been through them and think: ‘Why is this happening?’
“You wish it would have gone a different path. All of us have been through different upbringings and challenges through life and what did we do within thoe situations, was it fight or was it give up? I was a fighter from a young age, in difficult moments, you have to look at the bigger picture and realise.”
Everton transfer plans
Everton are set for a busy transfer window, with eight players from the 2024-25 season squad leaving including regular starter Abdoulaye Doucoure. In addition, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Michael Keane are heading towards the exit door at the end of their respective deals, while Idrissa Gana Gueye and Seamus Coleman have yet to put pen to paper on fresh terms.
David Moyes has admitted that the Blues require ‘elite players’ ahead of the move to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium on the banks of the River Mersey. Everton are closing in on a deal for right-back Kenny Tete, who is out of contract at Fulham. He will add competition at right-back.
The Blues require a new striker with Calvert-Lewin likely to leave and Armando Broja heading back to Chelsea after a disappointing season-long loan. Villarreal’s Thierno Barry is one centre-forward on the radar.
Wide options are also required as well as central midfield, while Jordan Pickford is the only senior goalkeeper at the club and needs cover should he pick up an injury. Keane’s potential exit may also see Moyes add another centre-half to his squad.
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