Former PL Scout Tips Everton To Sign This Manchester City Star: Does This Make Sense? | OneFootball

Everton’s 2025–26 season has been a hell of a story. David Moyes came back to Merseyside in January 2025 with the club sitting just a point above the relegation zone; fast forward fifteen months, and the Toffees are actually pushing for Europe. They are only one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool (who have played one less game) with six games to go.

With eleven clean sheets on the board, only Arsenal have a better record, and Everton have only let in sixteen goals on the road all year. Moyes has made it clear his side will go full throttle in these final matches to clinch a European spot, and that sense of ambition is now driving every recruitment call they make for the summer.

With that in mind, a familiar face has popped up at the top of Everton’s wishlist. John Stones is coming to the end of the five-year deal he signed back in 2021. His contract at the Etihad runs out on June 30, 2026, and Manchester City have reportedly shown no interest in a renewal. Stones only managed fourteen appearances this season as Pep Guardiola turned to Ruben Dias, Marc Guéhi, and Abdukodir Khusanov while Stones struggled with recurring injuries.

John Stones to Everton?

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown admitted that while everyone knows Stones is a top-tier player who improves almost any team when fit, the fact City are letting him go suggests he can’t quite cut it at that level anymore. He pointed out that Stones rarely manages more than twenty games a season, which is a major red flag for any buyer. Even so, Brown noted that Everton seem willing to take that gamble, as long as they manage his workload properly.

“The only concern about John Stones, and it’s a big one, is his fitness,” Brown told Football Insider.

“Everybody agreed that when he’s fit, he is a top-class footballer who would improve most teams in the country, but if that was the case he’d be staying at City.

“The problem he has is he barely plays more than 20 games per season at the moment and that’s going to be a major concern for any interested club.

“Everton have been looking at bringing him back, but again the doubt has always been whether it’s worth it given the money they’d be paying him.

“From what I hear, though, they might be willing to take that gamble on him.

“They’ll have to manage his minutes carefully to make sure they don’t put more pressure on him, but if they can do that and keep him fit, it would be a great signing.

“David Moyes wants to add experience and quality to his side, and Stones brings plenty of that with everything he’s done at Man City.

“So it’s just about weighing that up against his availability, but if they do decide he is worth it, it’s definitely a deal I can see them going for.”

The numbers tell the same story: in his seven league games this year, Stones saw a goal go in roughly every fifty minutes and averaged just 0.51 interceptions per ninety. These are stats that look more like a defender who can’t find his rhythm than one who has lost his touch.

So, does this move actually make sense for Everton right now?

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 24: John Stones of Manchester City looks on during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Huddersfield Town and Manchester City at Accu Stadium on September 24, 2025 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

In truth, it does, but only if Everton view Stones as a squad player from the jump rather than a guaranteed starter. He’d be joining a defensive group that already has James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, and Jarrad Branthwaite, meaning the competition for spots would naturally limit his game time. It’s a rare case where a player’s injury record actually fits perfectly with a club’s depth.

Moyes, who first brought Stones to Everton from Barnsley in 2013, is said to be the one pushing for the move; he wants that elite experience and leadership in the dressing room. That history counts for a lot. Moyes knows Stones personally, knows how to manage him, and won’t expect the impossible from his body.

With Everton likely looking at free agents and cheap deals this summer, a zero-fee signing (even with high wages) makes sense. The salary is a sticking point, but for a club trying to build a new identity and chase Europe, signing a Champions League winner for nothing carries a significance you just can’t measure on a spreadsheet.