According to The Sun, Everton have joined Arsenal in the race for Manchester City centre-back John Stones ahead of the summer transfer window.
The England international is out of favour at the Etihad Stadium and is way down boss Pep Guardiola’s pecking order, with the quartet of Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Nicolas Otamendi and Eric Garcia all ahead of him.
Stones joined City from Everton in a £50 million deal in the summer of 2016 but has struggled to nail down a permanent spot due to his frequent errors, and he is said to be open to an exit this summer.
Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti wants another centre-back to boost his backline and has already been linked with Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara, Lille’s Gabriel, Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva and Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma.
Stones could be available in a cut-price deal and Everton are open to bringing him back to Goodison Park.
The 26-year-old has only featured in 20 games across all competitions for Man. City this term and his place in the Three Lions squad could be under huge threat.
Stones is already no longer an automatic starter in England’s XI and with his chances at City now getting slimmer, moving elsewhere to save his career is pertinent, and returning to Everton could do the trick for the one-time most expensive English centre-back.
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