Manchester City close on £50m Everton defender John Stones but fellow Prem giants United and Chelsea are still interested
Etihad boss Pep Guardiola believes he has won the race for the England ace and also wants £30m Schalke winger Leroy Sane
PEP GUARDIOLA is confident he has won the £50million transfer scrap for John Stones.
Manchester City believe the classy Everton centre-back will join them this summer ahead of rivals United and Chelsea.
New Etihad boss Guardiola also wants to tie up a £30m deal for Schalke sensation Leroy Sane.
Stones, 22, is seen as a vital part of City’s future under Guardiola, with veteran Martin Demichelis, 35, leaving and the club short on centre-backs.
City skipper Vincent Kompany struggled with injuries all last season and there are doubts over Eliaquim Mangala’s form.
Pep will also assess centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and Jason Denayer in pre-season before making a decision on their futures. But ex-Barnsley man Stones is the ball-playing defender that Guardiola wants to build a new-look defence around.
The defender almost moved to Chelsea in last summer’s biggest transfer saga — but ended up staying at Goodison Park after Everton stood firm over a deal.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, who was at Stamford Bridge at the time, remains a huge admirer of Stones’ talent despite criticism over his Everton form last season.
But City feel they are ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race to snap up the England squad man once the Euros are over.
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German winger Sane, 20, is also set for a first-team role under former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss Guardiola, if a deal can be thrashed out with Schalke.
He looks set to join regardless of whether City seal a £14m move for Celta Vigo’s Spanish international forward Nolito, 29.