- John Stones set to depart Man City
- Will leave as free agent this summer
- Club announcement coming soon
John Stones will be departing Manchester City this summer and it is only a matter of time before his exit is officially confirmed.
Manchester City are likely to make some sales at the end of the season, with many players struggling for minutes.
News of Bernardo Silva’s move away from the club has already been revealed, despite the fact he has been a nailed-on starter this season.
However, there are other members of the squad who are likely to make a switch elsewhere for other reasons.
Recent reports have claimed Man City will not offer John Stones a new contract, essentially forcing him to move on this summer.
John Stones’ Man City exit will be announced next week
According to David Ornstein, Stones will bid Man City farewell this summer as he has mutually agreed to end his stay at the Etihad Stadium.
The defender will become a free agent, with an announcement set to come next week confirming this news.
Interest is expected from ‘leading’ European clubs, showing that Stones is highly sought after despite his injury troubles.
Stones cannot be relied on by Man City
After a decade of service, Stones deserves the respect of everyone associated with Manchester City for his contributions to the club.
However, now is the right time for the 31-year-old to move on considering he has spent much of the season sidelined by fitness issues.
This has caused Stones to fall down the pecking order. In fact, he has not even started a Premier League game since last October.
City are not short on central defensive options
Yesterday, Vitor Reis stated his intention to play for Man City next season, following the conclusion of his loan spell at Girona.
A short while later, Pep Guardiola called Reis ‘unbelievable’ in his Tuesday press conference, hinting at the possibility of Reis’ ambition becoming a reality.
Additionally, Guardiola will have been impressed by Abdukodir Khusanov’s development, with the Uzbek fast becoming an important player for the club. This is evident by the fact he is not a two-time winner of the Premier League Player of the Month award.
And if that was not enough, he has Marc Guehi and Ruben Dias at his disposal, while the option is always there to sign another centre-back in January.
This has ultimately made coming to a decision on Stones very straightforward. It will be emotional seeing him go, but the timing is right for the Englishman to take the next step in his career.
