Report – Everton plot £50m swoop for former Goodison star
Everton are keen on bringing England international John Stones back to Goodison Park, according to TEAMtalk.
The 25-year-old left the Toffees to join Manchester City for a fee of around £50 million in 2016, having previously arrived on Merseyside from Barnsley three years prior.
The report states that Arsenal are particularly eager to snap up the defender in the coming summer transfer window, but does also state that the Blues and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in making a move.
It is understood that Man City would look to recoup the entirety of the fee they paid for Stones four years.
For his part, the player has struggled to hold down a place at the Etihad this season, and has just 12 Premier League appearances to his name this term.
Would this be a good signing for Everton?
Honestly, it’s hard to tell.
There’s no doubting that Stones is a talented footballer, but he hasn’t looked at his best for a while now, and his lack of regular game time this season is very telling.
So far this term, for instance, Stones has won 3.69 defensive duels per game, as per Wyscout, as well as making 3.53 interceptions.
Now, ostensibly, there’s nothing wrong with those numbers – they certainly don’t illustrate a player in disastrous form.
But as a point of reference, Mason Holgate has averaged 5.82 defensive duels won and 4.74 interceptions, as per Wyscout.
Those numbers beg the question – if the Toffees want to put their faith in a young English centre-back, why not make it the one that they already have, and that isn’t going to cost to them £50 million?
In other Everton news, Gary Lineker issues two-word Twitter verdict on Toffees defeat v Chelsea.