Stamford Bridge side look to complete deal for Everton defender imminently.
Chelsea are ready to make a fresh offer for Everton defender John Stones, according to the Daily Mail.
The 21-year-old Toffees star has adapted well to life in the Premier League over the past 18 months and is now a regular in Roy Hodgson’s England national team set-up.
Chelsea failed with an opening £20m bid for the Goodison Park youngster [via the Daily Mail] but the same source now claim that the Blues are ready to offer £26 million as well as the services of a player in a part-exchange deal.
Last season, Jose Mourinho made excellent use of veteran captain John Terry, who played every single minute of Chelsea’s successful Premier League campaign, and is now keen to bring in Stones to act as a long-term replacement for the 34-year-old.
The Daily Mail has dubbed Stones the ‘New John Terry’ and there is no doubting the obvious talent and potential the former Barnsley man possesses.
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Everton paid £3m to bring in Stones two and a half years ago [via the BBC] and the versatile starlet, who can play at full-back or in the centre of the defence, made 26 appearances in his debut campaign on Merseyside.
Last season Roberto Martinez made Stones a regular, and despite spending a large portion of the campaign out with an ankle injury, the Everton man made 28 appearances in all competitions.
Stones signed a new five-year contract just under a year ago [via The Guardian] and as such, Everton are under no urgent pressure to sell the player.
The Daily Mail believe Victor Moses would be the player offered to Everton in a part-exchange deal.
The Nigerian international has spent the past two seasons out on loan, at Liverpool and Stoke City respectively, and hasn’t featured in a Chelsea senior fixture since May 2013.