Stones becomes City’s eighth signing of the summer, following deals for Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aaron Mooy, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Marlos Moreno. We didn’t change our approach as such, it was more that he analyses how you can attack your opponents. Does it mean success for them or will they continue to rebuild.
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“If you’re Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, Manchester United or City now, they want to see results because they are big clubs and the amount of players they have is incredible”. Then manager Roberto Martinez may have quickly quietened Stones down, but the episode showed a player who wants to win.
Stones is extremely excited at the prospect of working with Guardiola and feels that the 45-year-old Spaniard will help him to realise his full potential.
Discussion has already turned to where Stones will fit into the Manchester City defence, and who he might find himself alongside next season.
“I always know there’s a lot of improvement for my game personally”, Stones added.
“People say we are looking at a modern-day Alan Hansen here, but I ask, can he carry his team into a battle, can he stop being bullied, does he have the steel?”
Barcelona legend Xavi is confident that his former boss Pep Guardiola will take Manchester City to the next level with his pursuit of perfection.
“It’s 110 per cent the right decision to play under him and I’m so thankful that I’m getting the opportunity to come here and play with the best and improve day in, out”.
“City need to fire him up and teach him to do the stuff that hurts, because that is what wins titles…”
“I like the way he plays the game and I’m looking forward to welcoming him into the squad”.
Stones should solve those issues if he can continue his impressive development after emerging as one of England’s brightest young talents at Everton following a £3 million move from Barnsley in 2013.
He has earmarked Stones as someone he can build his new-look side around and who can become the long-term replacement for Vincent Kompany.
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Stones holds former England centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand as the standard he must reach, but he also admits he needs to mix the uncompromising tackling of the former with the fluidity on the ball of the latter. Leave YOUR opinion in the comments box below!
