John Stones is aiming for his next club after leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, and despite negotiations with Chelsea, he has decided on his next transfer destination.
John Stones turns down chance to sign with Chelsea
John Stones has been in talks with Chelsea about a possible transfer since leaving Manchester City, but has decided to move abroad.
The England centre-half has ended a 10-year spell at the Etihad, where he won six Premier League titles and also won the Champions League. The 32-year-old remains a strong performer and hasn’t been shy about suitors this summer.
Chelsea are currently managed by Xabi Alonso and are keen to add his quality and experience to their squad, and multiple negotiations have taken place with the Blues. Ultimately Stones rejected a potential move to Stamford Bridge in order to pursue his ambitions to play elsewhere in Europe.
Stones, who has played for Barnsley, Everton and City, is now closing in on a move to Inter Milan, according to reports. An agreement in principle has been secured with the British player and he has agreed to a contract until 2028.
Inter will go into this season as defending champions having won Serie A, their second Italian title in the last three years. There are currently no English players in the squad, but a move to the San Siro would allow Stones to rekindle his relationship with Manuel Akanji, with whom he played at City.
Another Three Lions defender, Fikayo Tomori, plays for city rivals AC Milan and has been with the club since 2021, but has been linked with a move.
Stones will bring the ball-playing ability that made him the first player to encourage Guardiola to increase his midfield role during his time in Manchester.
Inter Milan are ready to sign England defender
The veteran defender spoke glowingly of his time in Manchester, where he helped the club enjoy its most successful period in its history. “It’s been a roller coaster. When you look at it that way, everything has its ups and downs, good and bad, but it’s about living my life as a player and fulfilling my dreams, my goals, everything I set out to achieve as a player,” he said.
“It was just a dream to make that happen. To give that to everyone, to do it with our style and fashion, and to obviously make everyone’s dream come true in a Treble season that the club had never achieved or won before, it’s very special.”
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