John Stones has handed in a transfer request at Everton in a bid to force through a deal for him to join Chelsea. The Barclays Premier League champions have pursued the England central defender all summer with Everton rejecting bids of £20 million, £26 million and £30 million for the 21-year-old.
Everton have insisted that Stones will not be sold and Jon Woods, the director, was caught on video telling a supporter during Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City that neither he nor the club owner, Bill Kenwright, would be budged.
It now remains to be seen whether they will be able to hold on to their prized asset, a £3 million signing in January 2013 from Barnsley, who are believed to be entitled to about 15 per cent of any future sale. Chelsea are expected to table a new bid of up to £40 million this week that would make Stones the most expensive English defender, and one of the most expensive England players overall behind Raheem Sterling, who cost Manchester City £49 million when he signed from Liverpool this summer.
“I won’t sell him, Bill won’t sell him, because there aren’t many days to go,” Woods said on the video clip, which was posted on social media on Sunday.
Roberto Martínez, the Everton manager, has become increasingly weary of fielding questions over the future of a player who is seen as a future captain for both club and country. This morning he refused to even discuss what the club’s response would be should the player hand in a transfer request when he was asked about it at his press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Capital One Cup second-round tie away to Barnsley.
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“There is nothing to comment on that. Once more, it is always the same question and always the same answer,” the Spaniard, 42, said.
“The only thing that matters now is the game we have in front of us. There is nothing to announce or discuss. I know it is your job to keep asking the same question and unfortunately it is my job in this case to always give you the same answer.”
José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, is determined to shore up his side’s defensive frailties with John Terry struggling at the start of the season after a brilliant campaign helped Chelsea wrest back the title from City in May.
However, the Chelsea captain was substituted for the first time in a Premier League match on August 16, during the 3-0 defeat away by City, before being sent off for hauling down Salomón Rondón during the 3-2 win away to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Kurt Zouma has been in impressive form when he has been given a chance but Mourinho has preferred to pair Terry with Gary Cahill at the heart of his defence. Branislav Ivanovic is also able to fill in at centre back.
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Everton and Chelsea are scheduled to meet at Goodison Park in the Premier League on September 12,