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David Tully Jul 21st 2026
Chelsea have “added” John Stones to their list of centre-back targets, according to reports.
The Athletic claim that the 32-year-old could make the switch to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer after leaving Man City at the end of last month.
Manager Xabi Alonso is keen to bring in more experience to the first-team squad. He reportedly wants more “ready-made” players, and Stones is seen as a good fit.
Supporters on X are very much split on whether Stones would be a good addition, with some raising concerns about his fitness record:
This might be another Thiago Silva, go for him
— Jonah_17🆒✨ (@OJonah1371) July 21, 2026
He's injury prone, has everyone gone mad??
— Whoami🫧 (@ashh_bones) July 21, 2026
Lacroix and Stones. Yeah I like it.
— Ed (@BornBredChelski) July 21, 2026
He would be a great character in the medical room
— inż. arch. Quizzmo (@Quizzmo2) July 21, 2026
Still only 32. Would add great cover and experience.
— Ian Kimber (@kimber74073) July 21, 2026
No more sick notes please!
— Paul Newton (@pauldgnewton) July 21, 2026
Stones could be used as a rotation option
The Blues are not exactly short of centre-halves. Even if the likes of Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi are offloaded over the coming weeks, Alonso still has plenty of depth in that position.
Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino are all available, while Jorrel Hato can also be deployed there, especially in a back three.
For that reason, Stones’ fitness should not be a massive concern. There is no European football, and if the club also land top centre-back target Maxence Lacroix, Stones won’t be needed every week.
Chelsea could have competition for the defender
It is believed that Arsenal are also weighing up a move for the England international. The Premier League champions have recently been dealt a major injury setback, with William Saliba expected to be sidelined for several months with a back problem.
The Gunners need short-term cover, and Stones is one of the names under consideration. Having gone head-to-head for Rogers, there is a good chance that the two London clubs could battle it out for another target. Alonso proved to be the key in getting the move for the Aston Villa forward over the line, so we shall see if he can be the difference again with Stones.
David Tully
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.