Everton would ‘love’ to complete John Stones signing after deal agreed
Everton are keeping tabs on John Stones in case he becomes available on a free transfer from Man City when his contract expires at the end of the season.
David Moyes is believed to be a big fan of the England international and would see him as an upgrade on his current options in central defence.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked alongside Moyes at West Ham, told Football Insider that the boss “would love” to land Stones this summer.
However, there are major concerns about his fitness issues which could see Everton step back from making a move for the 31-year-old.
Stones has made just 13 appearances across all competitions so far this season through various muscle injuries, and Pep Guardiola has refused to put a timeframe on his return.
David Moyes ‘would love’ to sign John Stones
Brown told Football Insider in September that Man City would like to extend Stones’ contract, with his experience and leadership seen as crucial for their young squad.
However, his never-ending injury issues have pushed him towards the exit door, and are expected to have an impact on his potential destination as well.
“Everton would definitely be interested in Stones,” Brown told Football Insider.
“When John Stones plays, everybody can see he’s a fantastic centre-half. Solid defensively, good on the ball, experienced. But it would be a gamble.
“He doesn’t play consistently enough, he’s lucky if he plays 20 games per season at the moment, and a club like Everton can’t afford to carry that.
“They’ve got to have players like James Tarkowski, who you know you can rely on every week.
“Moyesey would love to sign John Stones, there’s no doubt about that, he would definitely be an improvement on the options they’ve got at the moment.
“His contract is up at Man City, they’ve gone and brought Marc Guehi in so it looks like he will be available for free. That’s always tempting.
“But those question marks about his injuries aren’t going away and it wouldn’t surprise me if Everton backed off because they can’t count on him being available.”
Everton set to miss out on Ben White deal
Stones is not the only defensive option on Everton’s radar, as they accelerate plans to strengthen both at centre-back and right-back in the near future.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 11 January that Everton are interested in signing Ben White to ease their concerns about the right-back position under Moyes.
The Merseysiders are keeping close tabs on the England international, 28, and are open to a deal this month if he would be available.
However, Brown told Football Insider on 13 January that Arsenal will block White’s exit and have no plans to let him leave mid-way through the season.
The Gunners plan to remain competitive across all four competitions with silverware at the forefront of their ambitions, and will need a big squad to succeed.
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