According to reports from The Daily Mail yesterday evening, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has conceded that it may require an ‘extraordinary’ bid to sign Everton defender John Stones this summer.
The 21 year-old has emerged as one of the most promising home-grown defenders in the Premier League since moving to Goodison Park from Barnsley in January 2013, earning a place on England’s stand-by list for the 2014 World Cup and a nomination for the 2014 Golden Boy award.
That dramatic rise has caught the attention of Chelsea and Manchester United, who are both considered to be long-term admirers of Stones’, alongside Manchester City.
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The Toffees have already rejected a £20million bid from the English champions and issued a written response, claiming the four-cap international won’t be sold this summer – whilst Blues boss Jose Mourinho has been surprisingly vocal about his interest in the 6 foot 2 defender.
Reports have since claimed the Goodison outfit will only sell for a fee that eclipses Manchester City’s £32million spend on Eliaquim Mangala last summer – which is currently the Premier League’s record fee for a defender.
And according to The Mail, Mourinho has hinted he might be prepared to make such an offer. “That is the market,” said the Portuguese. “The market has no rules or limits from season to season. And not even the introduction of Financial Fair Play rules is able to control the market. The market is where it is and it’s up to the clubs to decide yes or no.
“It’s a good market. That is why smaller other clubs if they have interesting young English players they use that in the right way for them. I don’t even criticise them. They play the market for themselves. And if the big clubs don’t want to go over certain limits, they have to make a decision. And that is maybe why none of the top clubs are not full of young English players. But that is the market,” he added.
The man can buy anything except class. Listen to him growling and stamping his little feet like a four-year old who can’t get his own way. Stand firm Everton. He’s making Chelsea look ridiculous!