Manchester City sign Everton defender John Stones

Manchester City has officially announced the signing of the English defender, John Stones on a 6-year deal, wearing the no. 24 jersey.

The deal is understood to be valued close to £47.5million, a figure closely matched by his new teammate Raheem Sterling.

While Pep Guardiola has been busy all summer making additions to the Manchester City, with this being his eighth signing, the manager still believes the team has a long way to go to meet his exemplary standards. Stones follows Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Aleksandar Zinchenko, Aaron Mooy, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Marlos Moreno into the club, addressing the chink from last year’s team.

He now becomes the highest valued transfer for an English defender, surpassing the transfer of Rio Ferdinand for £29.1m from Leeds to rivals Manchester United back in 2002.

The deal was supposed to long and drawn out, with the protracted deal having been over the table for weeks. Unfortunately, the news of the player’s announcement was leaked prematurely as his name was seen in a UEFA team sheet, showing him as a part of the Manchester City Squad.

John Stones, on Manchester City’s website, said- “I’m absolutely delighted to sign for City and now the deal’s done I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career. I’ve obviously seen what’s going on here at the Etihad, it’s an ambitious Club with a great manager so I can’t wait to get stuck in and help achieve the goals.

“I know it will be tough getting a place in this team but I’m determined to become the best player I can be and help us to success. I had a wonderful time with Everton and wish them and their fans all the best but now I’ll give my all for City.”

Pep Guardiola believed the player would be a perfect fit to his expectations from the City squad. He continued- “We want to help John show his quality with us and improve on what he has already achieved. I like the way he plays the game and I’m looking forward to welcoming him into the squad.”

Their director of football, Txiki Begiristain left no praises hanging-““John is an excellent young English defender and we are all really pleased he is joining us. We have worked hard to bring him to City and we feel we are signing one of the best central defenders in Europe.”

The announcement of the player comes hours after City rivals Manchester United announce the signing of their high-profile target, Paul Pogba.