Confirmed: Manchester City Sign England Defender for $61.7m

Manchester City have signed England centre-back, John Stones from Everton as new manager Pep Guardiola continues to reshape his side for the start of the Premier League season.

Everton, John Stones in action against Chelsea

City said in a statement on Tuesday that Stones had agreed a six-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with British media putting the transfer fee at 47.5 million pounds ($61.7 million).

The 22-year-old, who was part of the England squad at Euro 2016 but did not feature as they crashed out in the last 16, was strongly linked with a move to Chelsea last year.

 

“John is an excellent young English defender and we are all really pleased he is joining us” City director of football, Txiki Begiristain told the club’s website.

“We have worked hard to bring him to City and, we feel we are signing one of the best central defenders in Europe.”

Stones, who joined Everton from Barnsley in 2013 for three million pounds, becomes the world’s second most expensive defender after Brazilian David Luiz, who moved from Chelsea to Paris St Germain for 50 million pounds in 2014.

“Now the deal’s done, I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career,” Stones said.

“I’ve obviously seen what’s going on here at the Etihad, it’s an ambitious club with a great manager so I can’t wait to get stuck in and help achieve the goals.”

Spaniard Guardiola, who joined the Manchester club from Bayern Munich in the off-season, has identified the defender as the perfect fit for his possession-based game.

City begins their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on August 13.

Confirmed: Manchester City Sign England Defender for $61.7m

Manchester City Close In On Everton"s Player With a £50m Bid

The Mirror report that Manchester City have recently revived talks after deciding to meet Everton’s £50m valuation of the Englishman, and it looks as though a move could be finalised by the end of the week.

Everton, John Stones in action against Chelsea

John Stones came to prominence after signing for Everton from Barnsley in 2013. 19-years-old at the time, Stones made 21 Premier League appearances during the 2013/14 season for Everton, his debut season for the club.

However, it was his performances in the 2014/15 campaign which turned the heads of Europe’s elite. The young defender had such a good year that his performances were recognized with a nomination for the Golden Boy Award in 2014, along with the likes of fellow team-mate Gerard Deulofeu, Luke Shaw and Raheem Sterling.

Chelsea were the first team to make the move to sign the promising defender, with the London club regarding him as a replacement for club legend John Terry but both Chelsea and Everton stood firm in their valuations of the player and couldn’t agree a deal.

The failure to secure a move to Chelsea seemed to hamper Stone’s performances last season, with the defender some way off the form he showed in the 2014/15 campaign.

tones will be a welcome addition to the club and it is a huge possibility that under the guidance of captain Vincent Kompany and manager Pep Guardiola, he will become of the best centre backs in the world

Manchester City Close In On Everton"s Player With a £50m Bid

Mamelodi Sundowns Close In On Everton"s Star Man

Everton favourite Steven Pienaar is nearing a deal with Mamelodi Sundowns in his home nation of South Africa, according to a report.

Pienaar is looking for a new club after being released by the Merseysiders last month even though he remains a hugely popular player at the club with the fans.

African football magazine Kick Off claim sponsors Puma might add more cash to their impending Sundowns deal to help secure the signing of poster boy Pienaar.

Puma have been long-time supporters of Pienaar and they also began sponsoring the South Africa national team after their successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.

Mamelodi Sundowns play in the Premier Soccer League, the top South African league, and since the leagues inception in 1996 have won the league a record seven times.

Former national captain Pienaar joined Everton in 2008 from Borussia Dortmund after a year on loan in Merseyside, and cost the Toffees just shy of £2.5million.

Between then and 2016 he spent just one unsuccessful year away from Goodison Park, when he was bought by Tottenham for £3million before being sold back in 2012.

Across all competitions the left-winger has played 229 times for the Toffees, scoring 26 times alongside an impressive 48 assists.

For his national team he has played 62 times, which has included appearances at a World Cup, two African Cup of Nations and a Confederations Cup.

In other Everton news, a Turkish club are lining up a lucrative deal to rival Everton’s hunt for a Euro 2016 star.

Mamelodi Sundowns Close In On Everton"s Star Man

Shocking: Everton Star Man Rejects Barcelona Offer

Everton defender John Stones has reportedly rejected an offer from Barcelona.

Everton, John Stones in action against Chelsea

Stones is currently preparing for his first senior tournament, with England set to kick-off their Euro 2016 campaign against Russia on Saturday.

Speculation surrounding the future of the 22-year-old has continued to run rife, however, with a host of high-profile clubs interested in his signature.

Last summer, Chelsea were embroiled in a surprisingly public transfer saga over Stones, with former Toffees boss Roberto Martinez stating that two bids had been turned down.

Now, Manchester City and Barcelona are keen on the centre-back, according to the Daily Mail.

Stones endured a difficult 2015/16 on Merseyside in an underperforming Everton team, with Martinez failing to produce consistent results despite boasting an array of young talent.

The No.5 did impress in possession – showing a staple of Barcelona’s style of play – by completing a squad-high 89% of his passes in the Premier League.

However, Stones made a concerning total of four defensive errors over the league season, three of which led directly to goals.

Shocking: Everton Star Man Rejects Barcelona Offer