Premier League champions Chelsea have seen a £20million bid for Everton and England centre-back John Stones rejected, but the Blues are expected to return with an improved bid.
The 21-year-old defender has impressed immensely in the past few seasons since joining from Barnsley in 2013. His £3million fee currently looks a bargain for the Toffees, as he is now rated as one of the brightest young defenders in the English game.
Stones is regarded as a vital member of the Everton team and has formed a very solid partnership with England international colleague Phil Jagielka at the heart of Roberto Martinez’s team. The youngster has recently stated how he was looking forward to the new season and building on that partnership.
The Toffees are likely to resist any bid from Jose Mourinho’s club and if Chelsea does manage to pull-off a swoop for the defender it will not be a cheap one.
In truth though Stones will know a move to south west London will mean that he would likely be occupying the bench at Stamford Bridge.
He would be regarded as a long-term option for the Blues, with John Terry and Gary Cahill currently the first choice pairing at the heart of the Chelsea defence.
A move to Chelsea may appear appealing at first glance and it may benefit the youngster to learn from some of the Blues players.
However his development could suffer from not playing regular first team football and he could well be better off staying at Everton and keep improving with those regular games.
Should Chelsea pursue their interest in John Stones?
