John Stones receives Manchester City contract decision | OneFootball

Manchester City are not expected to hand John Stones a fresh contract beyond the conclusion of the ongoing season, it is being reported.

The 31-year-old has been a cornerstone of the most successful era in the club’s history, amassing a remarkable 17 trophies since his arrival from Goodison Park in the summer of 2016.

However, with the club moving into a new era under Sporting Director Hugo Viana, and perhaps with one eye towards the post-Pep Guardiola edition of the club, the focus has shifted toward a further refresh of the first-team squad ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

John Stones has seen his playing time dwindle during the current 2025/26 season, making just 14 appearances across all competitions as Pep Guardiola has leaned more heavily on the likes of Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, and Abdukodir Khusanov given injury problems.

What is Man City’s stance on John Stones’ future?

While Stones’ tactical intelligence remains undoubtedly world-class, the physical demands of Manchester City’s high-intensity system have led officials to consider a future without the ‘Barnsley Beckenbauer’ as he continues to battle with reoccurring fitness issues.

Now, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, John Stones is not expected to be offered a new deal by Manchester City, with his existing agreement running until the end of the ongoing 2025/26 season.

Despite his well-publicised injury struggles over the last couple of years, with the latest forcing an early exit from the England squad, Everton are reportedly among the clubs monitoring the 31-year-old ahead of a potential free transfer.

Could Everton sign two Man City players this summer?

The news of a potential return to Merseyside comes as David Moyes weighs up a double raid on the Etihad Stadium, with loanee winger Jack Grealish also linked to a big-money return to Merseyside after his season-long loan was cut-short by a leg bone fracture.

For Everton, the appeal of bringing Stones back on a free transfer is clear, offering a veteran presence to a backline that could lose key figures this summer, though his significant wage demands are likely to remain a hurdle for the Toffees’ hierarchy.

Who could replace John Stones at the Etihad?

As for City, the decision to let John Stones depart aligns with a strategy to lower the average age of the squad as a whole. The club is likely to be preparing to integrate highly-rated on-loan defender Vitor Reis back into the first-team fold following his impressive stint at Girona.