According to reports from Mirror Football, Everton manager Roberto Martinez has insisted Chelsea and Manchester United target John Stones will be going nowhere in January.
The Blues notoriously saw three bids rejected for the England international during the summer, their last offer believed to be worth around £38million, and are widely expected to renew their interest in the coming transfer window.
Having slumped all the way down to 16th place following a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Monday night, conceding the sixth-most goals of any Premier League side in the process, the reigning champions see the 21-year-old as a vital signing to turn their horrendous season around. They reportedly intend to launch a £40million bid as soon as the window opens on January 1st.
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Likewise, Manchester United have become an increasingly important fixture in the race to sign Stones since first expressing their interest during the summer. Over the last week, they’be been linked with a £50million bid for the 6 foot 2 centre-half and a planned Goodison double-raid in January that would also include star striker Romelu Lukaku. He’s scored twelve goals in 16 Premier League outings this season.
But Toffees boss Roberto Martinez has insisted the club will not sell any of its key players midseason, regardless of the magnitude of any potential offer. As quoted by Mirror Football, the Spaniard said; “It doesn’t matter if Chelsea come back in for him. We created a squad to see how far we could go over 10 months. January doesn’t come into consideration. We’ll never lose anyone in January — unless it’s somebody who hasn’t been playing and we need to find a solution. If he’s a top performer, it’s not even a consideration.”