It’s that time of the season where clubs are already making official announcements ahead of the summer regarding a range of topics.
The Friedkin Group have already irked Everton fans by announcing a rise in the cost of season tickets for next term, while Bournemouth have announced the departure of Andoni Iraola and also unveiled his replacement in Marco Rose.
Manchester City have now made an announcement too, revealing that John Stones will leave the Etihad Stadium this summer amid interest from Everton.
Would a return for John Stones on a free make any sense for Everton? 🧐
His experience could prove priceless! 🏆
John Stones lifts the Premier League trophy for Manchester City.
Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
Everton told John Stones is officially on the verge of becoming a free agent
Several outlets have claimed that the England international is a target for Everton this summer. Most recently, a story from Dean Jones went as far as to say that The Friedkin Group are ‘determined’ to land Stones due to his experience, pedigree and mentality.
Now, Manchester City have confirmed they will not be offering the 31-year-old a new contract when his current terms expire at the end of the season.
It has been ten years since Manchester City paid £47.5m to sign Stones from Everton in August 2016, a move which made him the second most expensive defender in football history at the time.
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Since then, the Barnsley academy graduate has made 293 appearances for Manchester City, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Community Shield on two occasions.
Therefore, you can understand why Everton are eager to bring Stones back, although the Toffees need to put the defender through an extensive medical before committing to a deal.
The £250,000-a-week man has only managed to make 16 appearances in all competitions this season due to thigh and calf problems.
Four games to go, have Everton blown their hopes of European? 🫣
Everton are only three points off sixth, though… 🤔
Premier League table.
Credit: Getty Images/Richard Pelham
With Jarrad Branthwaite already struggling to stay fit at Everton, the last thing David Moyes will want is to have two injury-prone defenders in his squad on large salaries.
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