Defender Wants Chelsea Talks Ahead Of Potential £30m+ Move

With the summer transfer window finally open for business, managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads ahead of next season so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today,  more on John Stones’ potential move to Chelsea…

John Stones is keen to speak with Chelsea about a potential move with Everton ready to accept any offer put on the table that’s in excess of £30m, according to the Daily Mail.

Chelsea have identified Stones as a prime target this summer with Sky Sports News reporting last week that the Premier League champions saw their opening £20m offer rejected out-of-hand by Everton.

Jose Mourinho then confirmed his interest in signing the 21-year-old at his press conference on Saturday and hinted that he was ready to test the Toffees resolve once again with an improved offer.

“If tomorrow Everton comes and says ‘At the moment they say we don’t accept this bid’; they don’t say: ‘We don’t accept bids; any bids.’ While they say we don’t accept THIS bid, until 31 August we can improve the bid – one pound more, 10 pounds more, we can improve the bid,”

“If one day Roberto or the chairman come and say he’s not for sale, we don’t accept any bid, game over. So during this process, it’s clear, we don’t deny we made a bid for Stones. It means we are trying to buy. But he’s an Everton player and I don’t like to speak.

“I don’t have to say why I like him and I don’t like to speak about players from other clubs. He is an Everton player and I don’t like to speak about players.

“We made a bid, we can make it – it’s an open market until 1 September. We didn’t make an offer on 2 September or in March, or two days before we play against Everton. We are making the bid in the period we have to make it, which is the open market.”

Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Guardian

The Portuguese coach wasn’t bluffing as the Express claimed earlier this week that Chelsea had submitted a second offer of around £26m but it appears that bid once again fell short of Everton’s asking price.

However, the Daily Mail are now reporting that Stones wants to be given the opportunity to speak with Chelsea about a potential move and the paper suggests that the Merseysiders are ready to accept any offer that’s in excess of £30m.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea are willing to go that high for the young defender but they’ll be buoyed by the news that Stones is keen on holding talks over a switch to West London.

The centre-back has developed into one of the hottest talents in British football since making the move to Goodison Park from Barnsley in 2013 and I think he’d be the ideal long-term replacement for John Terry at the Bridge.

He has a very similar playing style and is extremely comfortable on the ball, and his excellent performances over the past 12 months seeing him break in to Roy Hodgson’s senior England squad.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news

No doubt Everton are keen to keep hold of him for as long as they can but it looks like it’s only a matter of time until Stones becomes a Chelsea player and I think he’ll be a superb signing for the Blues.