John Stones in advanced talks over bumper new Man City contract
By Tom Gott
Manchester City centre-back John Stones is close to putting pen to paper on a lucrative new five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.
A fringe player last summer, Stones had been expected to leave City before the 2020/21 season, and Pep Guardiola's decision to splash out on Ruben Dias only made Stones' imminent exit seem more likely.
Since then, however, Stones has reinvented himself. Instead of being replaced by Dias, the Englishman has formed a dominant partnership with the new signing, helping City to the best defensive record in the Premier League as they canter to another title.
Stones is currently set to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer, but City have long been keen to tie him down to a new contract, and The Sun state that the 26-year-old is putting the finishing touches on a bumper new deal.
As a reward for his outstanding comeback, Stones is expected to be handed a base salary of £150,000-a-week, with numerous incentives and bonuses to take that even higher.
Stones has always made it clear that he wants to stay at City, but a combination of injuries and poor form saw Guardiola begin to look elsewhere last season. Dias and Nathan Ake both moved to the Etihad in the summer for a combined £100m, but Stones has risen to the challenge.
He has managed 30 appearances in all competitions, proving both his fitness and his talent, and Stones' impressive form has earned him a recall to Gareth Southgate's England squad.
Stones made his first England appearance in 18 months during the last international break and he is expected to seal a spot in the Three Lions' squad for the European Championships this summer.
“It’s a huge plus for us,” Southgate said of Stones' form (via City's official website). “John has played a lot of internationals for us. For a period, we weren’t sure whether he was going to be able to recapture that form and when you invest as much time and as many caps in a player like that and he disappears, that’s a huge disappointment.
“John deserves huge credit for turning that round, finding that level of consistency. He’s played a big part in what’s looking like being a hugely successful season for Manchester City, although they will be quick to say they have not achieved what they want to yet.”