Pep Guardiola is 1-1 against Barcelona as a coach, but in the transfer market he appears to have gotten his first big win over his former team since moving to England by beating the La Liga champs to Everton superstar defender John Stones.
According to the Daily Mail, Stones has reportedly outright rejected an offer from Barcelona and has been tipped to join Manchester City instead. The 22-year-old defender is one of the highest-rated in Europe and is expected to seal a move away from Goodison Park after Euro 2016.
Per the source, Barca offered Stones a £90,000-a-week salary plus a bonus for any and all trophies he helped the club claim. However, the Daily Mail noted that the offer was believed to be significantly lower than what Premier League clubs – like Man City – were offering for his services.
The Camp Nou outfit reportedly see Stones as a future replacement for Javier Mascherano, but the club’s massive wages for Neymar and Luis Suarez were reportedly too high for Barcelona to raise their offer.
Though Stones had a frustrating season for Everton under former manager Roberto Martinez, he is still considered one of the brightest young defenders in England and was a first-team selection for Euro.
Follow Jonathan Machlin on Twitter @jtmlovessports
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