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Man City centre-back John Stones’ contract is due to expire at the end of the season after a 10-year spell at the Etihad.
However, Guardiola’s attention will also be on the January transfer window, and the fact that he may need to start thinking about replacing some of his veterans. John Stones has been at the Etihad for 10 years, but his contract is due to expire in June, and City don’t yet have a replacement for him.
It hasn’t been confirmed whether City will offer the 31-year-old a new contract, but even if they do, they will still want a younger, long-term replacement for the England star, who has been such a reliable ever-present in Guardiola’s back four.
Man City ‘keeping tabs’ on Konsa to replace Stones
With Stones’ contract expiring at the end of the season, reports have begun to suggest that Man City are looking around for their next long-term centre-back option, and one name that has emerged in those reports is Aston Villa and England star Ezri Konsa.
Konsa has become more of a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, and will likely battle against Stones for a spot in his starting XI during the World Cup. According to TBR, Man City are interested in the Villa star to be their next long-term option at the back, and could make a move for him in January.
The same report says that Tottenham are also keen on Konsa, but seeing as they have Micky Van de Ven, and Christian Romero, they may not be able to guarantee his as many regular minutes as City, who will need to replace Stones. So far this season, Konsa has made 11 appearances for Unai Emery’s side, starting in seven of his eight Premier League games.
John Terry hails “excellent” Konsa
Former Aston Villa coach and England captain John Terry is very fond of Konsa as a player, and has previously spoken about his admiration for the England international. Konsa was called-up to the England squad for the first time in 2023 during Gareth Southgate’s tenure.
After he received his call up, Terry was quick to shout out the defender, congratulating him on the achievement. He wrote on his Instagram at the time: “Congratulations Ezri Konsa. So happy for you mate, you have been excellent and so consistent over the last three years and fully deserve this. Enjoy it Ez…Just the start.”
If Stones doesn’t remain at City, Konsa could be the perfect replacement for the 31-year-old. No reports have yet said anything about the potential cost, or whether Villa would be willing to sell the defender. His current market value is around £31m, but it would be expected that Villa would demand a significantly higher fee due to his importance to the team.
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