‘Exceptional’ star rewarded for resurgence with major Man City deal
John Stones has been rewarded for his resurgence with a new contract at Manchester City that will last until 2026.
Should he see the contract through, Stones will have spent a decade at Man City after joining them from Everton in 2016. The former Barnsley youngster has endured a career of ups and downs, but his trajectory has been aiming upwards again over the past year or so.
Stones lost his place at City in the 2019-20 season, only making 24 appearances in all competitions. When they signed Ruben Dias last summer, it seemed his chances would further reduce. However, the opposite happened.
Often starting alongside Dias, Stones played in 35 games and even scored five goals – as many as he had in his previous four seasons combined. Consequently, he earned a re-call to the England national team and played in all of their games at Euro 2020.
The 27-year-old has now earned further reward at club level by seeing his future tied down with a new five-year deal.
Stones, who has won eight trophies with City including three Premier League titles, is aiming to add to his medal collection over the remainder of his prime years.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Stones told Man City’s official website. “I love being part of this squad. There are so many quality players here and I know we can continue winning trophies, which is my main focus.
“Working with the manager is a dream – he has taught me so much about the game and I feel like I learn something new every single day.
“The success we’ve had in the last four years has been incredible. To be a part of it has been a dream come true and I just want to continue winning.
“This is the best place for me to play my football and fulfil my ambitions.”
Man City impressed by maturing Stones
Stones was just 22 years old when he joined City in a £50m deal. But the club feel their faith has been justified by his progression since then.
With 168 appearances to his name in total for the club, he has established himself as an important player for Pep Guardiola.
“This is great news for our club,” affirmed director of football, Txiki Begiristain.
“John is an exceptional footballer and a fantastic defender, whose attributes are well suited to our style of play.
“We knew when we signed him that we were getting a talented centre-back, but he has really matured in his five years here and, as we saw last season, is at the top of his game right now.
“John has been an important part of our recent success and we believe he can continue to help us achieve our goals, so for him to commit his best years to us is a major boost for the club.”
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Stones may not be the only player to sign a contract extension at City this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the next player on their list to renew is goalkeeper Ederson.
Furthermore, they have an additional deal in the pipeline…
READ MORE: New twist in Harry Kane saga as Man City reopen contract talks with star
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