Chelsea FC Targeting John Stones
Chelsea FC are to target a summer move for Everton’s John Stones, reports claim. With the Premier League now officially in the trophy cabinet, sights have firmly moved on to next season with the Englishman one of a few names doing the rounds.
Stones is primarily a centre-back, but provides flexibility by being able to fill in more than adequately at right-back as well. Despite having not reached the age of 21 yet, he has two full years of Premier League football under his belt with over 20 league appearances for Everton in the last two campaigns.
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Having been touted as a hot prospect since his £3 million move to Merseyside from Barnsley in January 2013, his talents have been evident. So much so that he has also obtained four caps for the national team. This is more impressive when you consider that he is playing in an Everton side that has conceded more goals than any of the current Premier League top 10 this season (except Tottenham). To stand out in a such a team speaks volumes of how talented he is.
The question is, though, would it be a smart move to make?
The Chelsea squad, although giving the impression of having sufficient depth, is really lacking at the back. Ivanovic, Luis, Cahill, Terry and Azpilicueta provide the foundations off which Jose Mourinho picks his starting back four. Kurt Zouma provides a further option while Nathan Aké and Andreas Chistensen are not yet ready for consistent senior starts.
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Breaking this down further, Luis is likely on his way out of Stamford Bridge after just one season having failed to establish himself as the regular left-back. Azpilicueta, meanwhile, is also reportedly linked with a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.
With regards to Terry, although he has played every minute of this Premier League campaign, it is hard to envisage him doing the same next season. The man is 34 years old and when players decline due to age, it is often more of a fall off the cliff rather than a gentle slope (just ask Gary Neville or Rio Ferdinand).
While Mourinho is unlikely to sell both full-backs without finding at least one replacement, there may well be a situation in which Cahill and Ivanovic are the only two players available to give the Blues 38 quality starts. This is where Stones could fit in.
when players decline due to age, it is often more of a fall of the cliff
While Christensen and Aké are promising talents, it is unlikely that Mourinho will immediately thrust them into first game of the season. Stones, despite his age, already has a wealth of experience and should he live up to his potential could indeed be a viable long term solution. He will undoubtedly face stiff competition from Zouma (especially as Mourinho’s constantly hypes him) but the Frenchman may instead find his calling in the holding midfielder role that he has impressed so much in recently.
From Stones’s point of view, while Everton is a great club it is unlikely that a person held in such high regard would define his career there. The issue for him would be whether to make his move now or hold out for another season until a situation arises in which he is a guaranteed starter at a bigger club. If he continues on his current path, there is no reason why his stock won’t just keep on rising on Merseyside and there will certainly be plenty of opportunities for him next summer.
Since Chelsea seem intent on turning over a portion of their defensive set up so is there any reason why Stones shouldn’t be high on the boss’s priorities? Sound off in the comments below!
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