John Stones linked with a return to Everton

England international John Stones is leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, when his contract with the Citizens expires.

 

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The centre-back has enjoyed a trophy-laden ten-year spell with the Manchester giants, which has included winning six Premier League titles and a Champions League.

Made his name at Everton in the Premier League

Stones first made his mark on the Premier League at Everton after a £2million move from Barnsley in 2012. He spent three seasons at the Toffees and started to attract interest from higher-profile clubs.

Despite being heavily linked with Chelsea, he moved to Manchester City in August 2026 for a reported fee of around £47.5m, plus £2.5m in add-ons. The move proved successful for Stones and City, given what has transpired over the last decade.

Everton could prove a realistic option for Stones

One of the clubs the centre-back is being linked with is his former club, Everton. A move back to his old club seems to be a realistic option this summer.

The 31-year-old has reportedly not ruled out a summer move back to the Merseyside club. However, the Toffees are going to be in a long queue of clubs looking to sign the centre-back, with the likes of European giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich reportedly also showing an interest.

The move would likely be the last big one of his career. Everton are ambitious and look to be on an upward trajectory for the first time in recent years. Rejoining the team from Merseyside would mean that Stones wouldn’t need to uproot his life, which could also appeal to the centre-back.

Reports suggest that the Toffees are looking for a centre-back, despite the presence of James Tarkowski, Jake O’Brien, Michael Keane and Jarrard Branthwaite.

However, Tarkowski and Keane are 33, Branthwaite has endured a night campaign due to various injuries, and O’Brien has been playing out of position at right-back for much of the campaign. Those issues explain why the Merseyside giants would be looking for an additional centre-back this summer.