John Stones to Everton is a transfer rumour that will not go away.
The defender is becoming a free agent, after announcing earlier this year his decision to leave Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season.
John Stones spent nine years at the club after leaving Everton for around £50 million, and enjoyed a highly successful stint.
Would a return for John Stones on a free make any sense for Everton? 🧐
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Stones won six Premier League titles and a Champions League among many other trophies, and established himself as one of the top ball-playing central defenders in world football.
Now, it’s a question of where Stones heads next.
Stones was reported to be in advanced talks over a return to Everton, with a ‘lucrative deal’ in the pipeline
And amid those claims, Stones has now made a suggestion that is actually quite encouraging.
John Stones downplays fears about his fitness amid Everton interest
Of course, one of the biggest talking points with Stones has been his injury record.
He has been a brilliant defender over the years.
But he has also spent quite a lot of time on the treatment table, never playing 30 or more league games in a single season for City.
In the season just gone, Stones made just 18 appearances for City, for a total of 1144 minutes. He made just nine appearances in the league.
Despite barely really featuring, Stones has moved to allay fears about his fitness and condition.
BBC Sport quote him as saying that he has been ‘fit, pretty much all season’.
Stones has also given an interview to ITV and touched on his involvement last term, suggesting that he didn’t play due to tactical reasons.
He said: “Ready, ready to go. Excited to go. I feel great, sharp, fresh. Excited for it.
“I think so (as good as I’ve ever been). I think without too many games coming into it…
“Yes (I wanted more games). 100%. And that comes down to a lot of things, a lot of factors. The manager. What was going on. That’s something I can’t dwell on.
“I think it’s always difficult to pick an XI, and I say this to him. He knows how much I wanted to play. How much I wanted to be there. You can look at it in so many ways.”
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So while Stones did have some injury problems last term, it seems his condition was actually fine for the most part according to the player himself.
And this could potentially encourage Everton to go full throttle in trying to bring him back.
Ultimately, Stones is still an elite defender, who would help Everton massively in terms of having a bit more control at the back and breaking the lines.
If the talk about his fitness has been overblown, then perhaps it’s more of a no-brainer for the Toffees to make a swoop.
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