It’s fair to say that Man City boss Pep Guardiola doesn’t envisage John Stones going anywhere for as long as he remains in charge at the Etihad.
The 23-year-old arrived at City in 2016, and was seen as a fundamental piece in Guardiola’s City side given his ability to not only offer defensive solidity at the back but also for his quality in playing out from the back.
However, a combination of injury setbacks and competition for places has seen him play less than expected this season, as he has been limited to 27 appearances in all competitions.
That in turn led to speculation over a potential move to Chelsea this summer, as per the Metro, but despite having Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte in the squad, it would have still been a shock if Man City opted to allow Stones to leave.
“I’m not going to comment on the transfers when it’s fake news,” Guardiola said on the matter, as noted by ESPN. “I don’t know how people believe we’re going to sell John Stones.
“John is not going to move. I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester but, as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us. First of all, he is a f—–g amazing guy and he’s going to stay here with me. He is a joy to train, I want to help him.”
Based on these comments from Guardiola, it’s highly unlikely that the England international will be going anywhere as it sounds as though he’s very much still an important part of his plans in the blue half of Manchester.
After winning the Premier League title and League Cup this season, City will go again next year and bid for more trophies, In order to that, they’ll need quality strength in depth, and if he’s not in the starting line-up on a consistent basis, then Stones certainly offers that at a minimum.
Admittedly, he will be under pressure to perform consistently as he had made some costly mistakes this season, but he remains a talented player with his whole career ahead of him and Guardiola has relished improving young players throughout his managerial career.