According to reports from Manchester Evening News, Chelsea and Manchester United will have to pay £45million to sign Everton centre-back John Stones.
The 21-year-old defender, widely regarded as England’s most exciting defender since the days of a young John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, was the subject of three Chelsea bids during the summer – the last and most lucrative believed to be worth around £30million. Despite handing in a transfer request in late August, the Toffees stood firm and insisted Stones wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Goodison Park after tying him down to a five-year contract just twelve months prior.
Chelsea are widely expected to make a fourth bid in January in an attempt to arrest their woeful start to the season, finding themselves in 16th place after twelve games with the third-worst goals conceded record in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Manchester United made their interest known during the summer and have been linked with the 6 foot 2 defender yet again this week, alongside European champions Barcelona.
In yesterday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Everton’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Saturday, Goodison gaffer Roberto Martinez insisted that none of the Toffees’ ‘best players’ will leave the club in the coming transfer window, telling reporters; “Our best players will not be leaving in January. We’re not in a position where we have to make financial decisions or balance the books.”
But every player has their price – even Lionel Messi’s contract includes a £210million release clause – and Manchester Evening News claim Everton’s private valuation of Stones is £45million. It’s the same fee Manchester City paid for the equally prodigious Raheem Sterling during the summer – albeit with an extra £5million in potential add-ons – and would also decimate the Premier League’s record fee for a defender, currently held by £32million City centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.
MEN claim United ‘would not be put off by Everton’s valuation’. So far, however, their interest in Stones has been limited to simply monitoring one of European football’s emerging talents.