Former Manchester City man John Stones is close to agreeing a deal to join Serie A champions Inter Milan. Having seen out his contract at the Etihad, there were a number of clubs hoping to secure the signature of Stones; however, it appears that he will be making his way to the San Siro.
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John Stones Set for Milan Move Despite Arsenal and Chelsea Attempts
From Manchester to Milan
As confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, Inter Milan are closing in on a deal to sign John Stones. Romano stated, ‘Formal steps to follow but agreement in principle being sealed with the English centre back. Contract until June 2028’.
Stones will play his football away from Manchester City for the first time in 10 years. He signed for The Citizens after several successful seasons at Everton FC. He made 295 total appearances for City, scoring 19 goals.
During his time in Manchester, Stones would win six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three EFL Cups, one Champions League, one Super Cup and one Club World Cup. Quite the haul for the dependable centre-back. His abilities saw him deemed “top-class” by his coach Pep Guardiola.
He achieved all of this despite suffering several big injuries. His final season in the North of England saw him make just nine Premier League appearances. If the deal goes through, he’ll join Cristian Chivu’s current crop of defenders, including the highly regarded Alessandro Bastoni, as well as linking up with former teammate Manuel Akanji.
Interest From Other Clubs
Although John Stones has seemingly made his mind up, Inter Milan aren’t the first Italian club to be interested in the England international. Juventus made contact with Stones’ team; however, evidence would show that they couldn’t come to an agreement.
After a successful World Cup campaign which saw him become pivotal in Thomas Tuchel’s system, he attracted interest from two English giants. Premier League champions Arsenal were reportedly looking at Stones, as were Chelsea.
The Gunners are potentially in the market for a centre-back after an injury to William Saliba is set to keep the Frenchman out for the first half of the season. Meanwhile, the Blues have already been busy in the window, making four signings over £20 million, including a £117 million swoop for Morgan Rogers.
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We likely won’t see Stones compete in the Premier League next season, however, as Inter are the frontrunners for his signature.
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