Let’s be honest: the whole John Stones transfer saga has become ugly for all clubs involved, not least far from ideal for the player himself and frankly for the genuine football fan, tiresome.
As expected Everton have released a club statement confirming their intentions to reject John Stones’ transfer request amid interest from Chelsea, per their official website.
Authored by club chairman Bill Kenwright, the statement reads:
Everton Football Club has rejected a transfer request from John Stones. Since the start of the transfer window, we have resolutely turned down offers from another Premier League football club for our player. John is not for sale and he will remain a highly valued member of our first team squad.
Now it is believed that Everton have rejected a fourth bid from Chelsea for their coveted defender, believed to be in the region of £37million according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror.
Everton hold every right to reject Chelsea’s advances for Stones, but Chelsea have every right to bid for the player, a player they believe to be a long-term replacement for another John.
While Chelsea may appear aggressive in their pursuit of the player, there is no evidence to suggest that unauthorised contact has been made with Stones from West London. Chelsea are simply acting in the official parameters of the transfer window which shuts on Tuesday 1st September at 6:00 pm.
Nonetheless, Chelsea have hardly been blameless in what has become yet another embarrassing episode of the summer transfer windows.
Indeed a public campaign headed by players such as John Terry and Gary Cahill has inevitably seen compliments and praises sung from Stamford Bridge to Goodison Park, much in a way we have seen players from Real Madrid and Barcelona do so effectively in previous windows.
Speaking on talkSPORT John Terry had the following to say regarding John Stones, as reported by the Evening Standard:
I have seen a lot of games and I am a big fan of his. He pulls wide of the box and wants the ball and for a young defender to do that in the Premier League takes some guts. He is exceptional with both feet, he is a ball-playing centre-half which you need to be these days.
However, Chelsea’s actions have hardly come as a surprise to Everton. The insertion of a 15% sell-on fee that Everton must pay to Stones’ former employers, Barnsley, would suggest an early acceptance that the defender would one day make the move to a ‘bigger’ club.
Once more, are Chelsea simply repeating what Everton did to Barnsley just two and a half years ago with Stones; stealing a player from a club lower down in the proverbial food chain? Most recently Everton performed a similar stunt as they signed another defender from Barnsley, Mason Holgate, who had just been voted the Tykes’ young player of the year.
One can assume Holgate was offered the chance to test himself at a higher level, play in one of the world’s most prestigious competitions and earn the wage packet that comes hand-in-hand with such a step-up. The same prospects have just been presented to Stones, but to an even greater extent.
Everton manager, Roberto Martínez, recently called for the ‘protection’ of John Stones. Unfortunately for Barnsley the very protection Martínez demands from the footballing authorities was not in place and Everton undoubtedly benefited.
But now it seems the shoe is on the other foot and Everton’s response will be to bemoan the actions of Chelsea in a quite hypocritical manner whilst remaining ignorant of the player’s desire to move.
Understandably Stones is believed to be ‘devastated’ that a dream move has not been allowed to materialise despite the potential deal appearing to benefit both parties.
