Manchester City to win race for Premier League star with huge £50m bid

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is moving quickly to strengthen his squad, as he is now reportedly closing in on the signing of Everton ace John Stones.

The Premier League giants are understood to be confident that they can push through an agreement quickly in order to have the England international at pre-season training with them after his break following Euro 2016.

Stones was an unused substitute at the tournament, but will now have to quickly switch his focus to his club future with The Telegraph reporting that City are ready to meet his £50m valuation.

The 22-year-old has attracted interest from various clubs, including the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, but City are ready to splash out which in turn has put them in a favourable position, particularly with Everton.

Guardiola evidently sees the talented defender as a key piece to add to his squad, as not only is he solid defensively, but he has an ability to play out from the back and is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

As seen at his former clubs, the Spanish tactician values those traits in his central defenders significantly, and he will be keen to add a player like Stones to his starting line-up ahead of his first campaign in charge in England.

Having already brought in Ilkay Gundogan and Nolito, the Guardiola revolution is gathering pace, and Stones would certainly be a significant improvement, albeit at a substantial price.

Meanwhile, it would be a blow for Chelsea who courted him all summer last year and failed with several bids, while Everton may now have to admit defeat in their attempts to keep him, with the report claiming that Stones wants the move to City too.

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