John Stones to Chelsea: Everton 'fear losing' England defender as bidding nears £30m
Toffees may lose young defender as Jose Mourinho turns the screw
Everton are growing increasingly concerned that John Stones will join Chelsea despite insisting the England defender is going nowhere.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Blues are preparing a third bid of around £30 million for the former Barnsley man, despite Toffees boss Roberto Martinez continuing to repeat the 21-year-old will not be leaving Goodison Park.
Chelsea are believed to be preparing a £30m offer for Stones after seeing two lower bids rejected out of hand by their Premier League rivals and Everton are already looking for defensive cover if they do indeed lose their man.
Jonny Evans, the Manchester United defender, Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk and Swansea City star Ashley Williams are all possible targets if Stones opts to move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Wayne Rooney back at Everton
Show all 6Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck and his Everton counterpart Bill Kenwright have staged private talks in an attempt to quell any hostility between the two clubs after both Martinez and Jose Mourinho went public over the saga.
Stones is seen as the perfect long-term replacement for Blues captain and club legend John Terry but will seek assurances about his first-team options this season before agreeing to any switch.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies