Stones famously signed for Everton in January 2013 in a deal worth £3million to the club, with a potential sell on fee of a rumoured 10-15 per cent if the England defender completes a £30million transfer to Chelsea.
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The current Premier League champions have made no secret about their pursuit of the 21-year-old Englishman, with both Jose Mourinho and John Terry talking up his qualities in the media.
Chelsea have had several bids for Stones rejected and Toffees manager Roberto Martinez has been adamant the last few days about keeping the talented English defender.
However, Martinez said that the two players are “very different” and added that Holgate is a “completely different type of player“ to Stones.
“From the outside it is a bit more volatile, and there is uncertainty, but we have always been clear, we have always known what we will do, and we are building towards success – we are not a selling club”.
He joined Everton from Barnsley in 2011 and has four years remaining on his contract at the Merseyside club. And whilst Stones is flexible enough to play at right-back if necessary, then his path to games is blocked by Branislav Ivanovic, arguably the most complete defender in the Premier League today, and possibly in its entire history.
The former Barnsley centre-back played the full 90 minutes as the Toffees were held to a 2-2 draw by Watford in their Premier League opener last weekend, and Martinez was impressed with what he saw. Europe made us stronger.
John Stones is staying at Everton…to be part of a “golden generation” that will take the Blues to glory.
Everton have also brought in a young player in Mason Holgate from Barnsley who is a possible replacement for Stones.
“At Chesterfield the pitch was hard but I asked him whether he was wearing new boots and he said no. Whether or not he was lying, I don’t know”.
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We also retain a significant on-going financial interest in his career moving forward which is certainly a good thing. Had Arouna Kone not improved on his miserable record of one goal in 22 previous games for the club with a late equaliser, the temperature would have been closer to Arctic.
