Chelsea
Chelsea To Launch Fresh Move For £40m-Rated Star In January
Chelsea will renew their interest in John Stones by testing Everton’s resolve with a fifth offer for the England international defender this January
With the summer transfer window now closed for business, it’s time to start looking at those deals that failed to get over the line and those which are being lined-up for the future. Today, Chelsea will renew their interest in John Stones…
Image: Liverpool Echo
Chelsea will renew their interest in John Stones by testing Everton’s resolve with a fifth offer for the England international defender this January, according to the Mirror.
Stones-to-Chelsea was one of this summer’s big transfer sagas with the Premier League champions conducting a lengthy courtship of the Everton centre-back that saw them tabled four formal offers [via the Mirror].
Toffees boss Roberto Martinez was critical of Chelsea’s public pursuit and the Goodison Park club held firm by rebuffing all of the West Londoners big-money bids over the course of the summer.
Stones eventually submitted a transfer request to try and force through a move to Stamford Bridge [via the BBC] but even that didn’t deter Everton as they managed to hang on to talented defender.
However, for how long as the Mirror claim that Chelsea will renew their interest in Stones this winter and will test Everton’s resolve with a fifth offer when the transfer window reopens in January.
No indication is given over how much the Blues will table but they will have to be prepared to dig deep as the newspaper suggests that it will take an offer of at least £40m for Everton to even consider cashing in.
Stones has developed a reputation as one of the best young talents in Britain since moving to Everton from Barnsley in 2013 and there’s no doubt he’s got a huge future ahead of him.
He’d be the ideal long-term replacement for Chelsea skipper John Terry and would be the kind of player Jose Mourinho could build his defence around for years to come, so I think he’d be a superb addition if they could get a deal agreed.
READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news
However, we’ll have to wait and see how Everton respond when the Blues eventually renew their interest in January, but I’d personally be surprised if the Merseysiders agreed to sell such a key player mid-season so Chelsea may be forced to wait until next summer to get their man.
