Manchester City defender John Stones will be out of contract at the end of the season, and Pep Guardiola has insisted that the club will decide on the defender's future.
The England defender moved to Man City in the summer of 2016 from Everton, and he is in his 10th season at the club, making over 280 appearances.
Stones has enjoyed rich success at City, and has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League.
The 31-year-old has made six appearances this season, including three starts in the Premier League, but there is no guarantee that he will get a contract extension at the Etihad Stadium.
What Pep Guardiola has said about Stones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola pictured on October 18, 2025
Jones made only 11 Premier League appearances last season, and he missed the final three months of action due to a hamstring injury.
The England international remained on the bench against Everton, as he had for the previous two Premier League matches, and Guardiola has raised issues about the defender needing consistency.
The City boss has made it clear that the club will decide whether to offer Stones a new deal, and while there's no doubt about his qualities, his injury problems could jeopardise his chances of extending his stay.
“Don’t ask me about that,” said Guardiola. “The club will decide what is best for John [and we will] see how he performs.
“When John is fit, he’s part of the starting XI, but he’s not had the consistency with games. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Will City offer Stones a new deal?
Manchester City's John Stones on May 20, 2025
Stones previously admitted that he considered retiring early due to chronic injury problems, but he still has a lot of football left in him at the highest level.
While he is struggling to get regular game time at City, Guardiola will be happy to find that the defender played 80 minutes for England in their 3-0 win against Wales, and also played over 70 minutes in the 5-0 win against Latvia.
City took a ruthless approach to Kevin de Bruyne, who left the club on a free transfer this summer, as they are looking to keep players who can play multiple times per week, and they could take a similar approach with Stones.
ID:583920:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect3723: