John Stones has confirmed that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, bring a curtain down to an illustrious decade at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City have confirmed Stones’ exit as well, with the England international set to depart the club as a free agent.
The 31-year-old’s trophy cabinet sums up his incredible success at City, as he lifted six Premier League titles, a Champions League in a treble-winning season and several other pieces of silverware.
England boss Thomas Tuchel still admires Stones but ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Barnsley-born colossus’ primary focus will be to end his Manchester City career with a bang.
Stones’ impressive showing against Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final was yet another reminder that at his best, there is no questioning the decorated centre-back’s outstanding quality.
READ MORE: John Stones could avoid Premier League move amid Man City exit rumours
John Stones fulfilled his elite potential at Manchester City
However, when City signed a 22-year-old Stones for a hefty £47.5 million (BBC Sport) fee from Everton in 2016, there was skepticism around the club’s decision to splash the cash on such an unproven prospect.
While the Englishman played a key role in the unforgettable ‘Centurions’ campaign, his early years as a City player were plagued by needless errors and inconsistency.
Speaking to BBC Sport in 2024, Stones admitted that there was a dark time in his Manchester City career where he had no choice but to fight for his place or risk playing his football elsewhere: “Maybe, over a year period, wasn’t playing here, wasn’t playing for England [in the 2019-2020 period].
“Didn’t know what to do at the start, was obviously struggling with not playing, mentally tough. You start doubting yourself massively, I thought, you know, ‘I’ve got two roads to go down. Accept that and move on or stay and fight.’ I wanted to prove to myself that I was good enough and deserved to be here.”
Despite Stones experiencing tough times at Manchester City, he has cemented his reputation as a world-class ball-playing centre-half since 2020.
In the 2020/2021 season, the Englishman’s redemption began as he formed one of the best centre-back pairing in world football alongside Ruben Dias, as City won the league, the Carabao Cup and reached their first-ever Champions League final.
John Stones. Manchester City legend and adored by the very best 🩵#EmiratesFACup https://t.co/y9Ana2uCA7 pic.twitter.com/6Vr9pf0uWP
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 28, 2026
Injuries have plagued Stones’ career since but in the Sky Blues’ historic treble-winning campaign in the 2022/2023 season, he revolutionised the modern game in his hybrid role as a defender and a free-roaming midfielder.
Having won everything there is to win at Manchester City while being a vital cog in Pep Guardiola’s system for years, it’s safe to say the-once talented youngster has fulfilled his potential at the club.
John Stones was a man for the big moments
What City fans will always cherish about Stones is that he was a man for the biggest moments.
One of them occurred in the 2018/19 season when Manchester City famously accrued 98 points in their title-winning captain, beating Liverpool by just one point.
When Pep Guardiola and Co defeated the Reds 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, Stones’ heroic goal line clearance to keep the scoreline level at 0-0 may have been the defining factor in the title race.
An iconic clearance from John Stones against Liverpool! 🤏⛔️ pic.twitter.com/UtzRRRfr9u
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 23, 2023
As far as big-game displays go, David Silva still hails Stones for his exceptional display in the Champions League against Inter Milan where Manchester City won 1-0.
While the City icon operated as a centre-back, he was tasked to play as a right-sided midfielder when Pep Guardiola’s men were in possession and he did so at a remarkable standard.
Not only was Stones a rock at the back but the manner in which he beat players, stitched his side’s build-up and operated as a free man across multiple zones on the pitch was a sensational sight.
6/6 – John Stones completed all six of his attempted dribbles against Internazionale (100%); the last player to complete more than that in a UEFA Champions League final was Lionel Messi in 2015 (10 v Juventus). Total. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/BYXf2kHZEQ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 10, 2023
So much so that he completed the most dribbles in a Champions League final (six) since Lionel Messi (10) against Juventus in 2015.
Vitor Reis could replace Stones at Man City
The good news for Manchester City is that they have an enviable roster of centre-backs at the club, featuring Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Abdukodir Khusanov and the exit-linked Nathan Ake.
Vitor Reis could replace Stones as he intends to become a first-team player at the club next season. While Pep Guardiola will decide Reis’ future, the Catalan revealed that he has only heard brilliant feedback from Girona about the Brazilian’s season-long loan spell.
With the former Palmeiras starlet profiling similarly to Stones in terms of being excellent on the ball, an astute reader of the game and dominant aerially, he could be the ideal candidate to succeed the departing central defender.
