Manchester City could sell £21m defender this summer as Guardiola's squad bloats
Pep Guardiola could be ready to let John Stones leave Manchester City this summer as he looks to trim his squad.
Man City fell short of their own high standards last season, finishing third and failing to defend their Premier League crown after four straight titles.
Losing Rodri early to injury hurt them badly, though they spent big in January to bring in Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Juma Bah.
The spending has continued this summer with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Marcus Bettinelli all joining the Etihad.
But Guardiola has warned he won’t start the new campaign with an oversized squad and has demanded the club offload players.
Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Stones, valued at £21m by Transfermarkt, could be one of the casualties.
Brown said: “The manager wants the club to cut the squad by at least six. That puts pressure on fringe players.
“Stones is one they’ll have to decide on. As good as he is when fit, he’s only managing around 15 games a season now.
“City don’t want someone who’s rarely available, and other clubs won’t pay big money given his injury record.”