Chelsea were prepared to pay £30m for the centre-back 12 months ago, and Stones even put in a formal transfer request in an attempt to force the move through.
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Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri is too fat to play, according to new boss Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City continue their pre-season preparations with a match against Premier League rivals Arsenal in Sweden on August 7.
Guardiola was speaking to the media after City beat Borussia Dortmund on penalties in the global Champions Cup in Shenzhen Stadium.
Everton are demanding more than the £50m with which City opened talks. (Picture: Getty)Leroy Sane of Schalke has already expressed his desire to move this summer.
Fernandinho, who does not turn 32 until May, is the only first-team player to have completed 90 minutes for Guardiola this preseason.
Asked how long he believes it will take for players to adapt to his exacting methods, Guardiola said: “I don’t know”.
“Tomorrow we are so happy to finally play here in China”.
“If he comes we’ll be happy, if he stays in Schalke I will be happy for the fans and for the Schalke club”, Guardiola explained, as quoted by ESPN.
Guardiola will be looking to ring the changes both on and off the pitch with reports also suggesting the Spaniard is willing to go as far as stopping his players from having dinner with their WAGS after games. Full-back Gael Clichy confirmed earlier this week that some players had been jettisoned from first-team training due to concerns over their fitness levels.
“He has the quality to create good build-up play and can play a forward pass, so I think he has the quality to play there (at centre-half). They are not fast enough, quick in the head enough and that’s why I want my players to be absolutely fit”.
Denayer spent last season on loan at Galatasaray and feels the experience will hold him in good stead at City.
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As quoted by Sky Sports, he said in regards to the England worldwide; “Everyone knows we are going to try, but I don’t know what’s going to happen”.
