Chelsea Plan £20m Move For £75,000-A-Week Versatile Defender

Everton center-back John Stones has flourished this season playing alongside Phil Jagielka. The Toffee’s defense might be the most impressive part of the team, and that is mostly because of the consistency and flexibility of John Stones. Chelsea boss José Mourinho is a reported fan of the 20 year-old defender, and is interested in signing him to play at Stamford Bridge next season [Mail].

The English international was purchased from Barnsley in 2013 for a meager fee of £3million, and could be sold now for something around three times the price it cost to bring him to Everton. Stones wouldn’t get the same type of playing time that he gets at Everton that he would get at Chelsea. He would be behind John Terry, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma, but the most intriguing aspect of Stones’ game is that he can play as a right back also.  He could be seen as Branislav Ivanović’s long term replacement, as the Serbian turns 32 years old next winter.  Stones is a very good player, and could be worth the effort to bring him to London.

Chelsea has also been linked to more players recognized on the world level, such as Mats Hummels, Raphaël Varane, and Nathaniel Clyne. All three of these players would be tens of millions more expensive than Stones, and Varane and Hummels may not adjust to the Premier League game as well as Stones has. Chelsea is also criticized for only purchasing world-class players at the peaks of their careers, and never growing young teenagers into stars.

Stones is only 20 years old, and is an English international, and has the potential to be a huge star in the Premier League. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mourinho was to make a bid on John Stones, but Everton may not be willing to sell their young star, and Stones may be reluctant to join Chelsea, because he will not be guaranteed and he could fall victim to being loaned out to multiple clubs over and over again.

Stones could be a very interesting story this summer, and if he does choose against Chelsea, he may never get the chance to play at a big club like Chelsea again.