John Stones set to choose next club as Aston Villa and Leeds join race

Aston Villa and Leeds United are keen on signing John Stones, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester City.

Stones won it all during a ten-year stint at the Etihad Stadium, but Man City opted not to renew his contract, given that he has struggled with injuries over the course of the past two seasons.

The Englishman only managed to start five Premier League matches during his final campaign at City, which indicates it was the correct call to let him leave, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have a lot left to give elsewhere.

Despite only playing a limited role for Pep Guardiola’s side, the centre-back was selected in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, where he went on to make five appearances, which suggests he may have put his injury problems in the rear-view mirror.

John Stones’ World Cup performance

• 330 minutes played
• 96.8% pass-completion rate
• 70% aerial duels won
• 20 clearances
• 2 tackles

Having been described as “sensational” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, and made 257 appearances in the top flight, the 32-year-old could be a savvy signing for a Premier League side, and there is certainly no shortage of interest.

Aston Villa hold internal talks to sign John Stones

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Leeds, Arsenal, former employers Everton and Aston Villa are all keen on signing Stones this summer, and the latter club have now held internal talks over the finer details of a potential deal.

Unai Emery wants to add experience to his squad, ahead of a return to the Champions League next season, and the ex-City man fits the bill in that regard, having won the competition in 2022-23.

Inter Milan, Juventus and Bayern Munich headline the interest from abroad, with the defender set to make a decision soon, after returning from a short post-World Cup holiday.

The 94-cap England international has the experience to make a real impact at any of the interested clubs, but it would not be a surprise if his injury record over the past five seasons deters potential suitors.

Stones’ wage demands may also be high, given that he raked in £250,000-a-week during his time at Man City. For reference, Emiliano Martinez and Boubacar Kamara are Villa’s current top earners, with both players earning £150,000-a-week.

Aston Villa also in “advanced talks” to sign new left-back

Not only do Emery’s side want to sign a new centre-back, but they are also eager to bring in a new left-back, following Lucas Digne’s departure, and they have entered “advanced talks” to sign AC Milan’s Pervis Estupinan.

Estupinan has already “agreed” a move to Villa Park, indicating Aston Villa may be able to get a deal done soon, should they be able to agree a fee with Milan, who are said to be demanding around £17m.