Man City Opinion: Citizens should offer John Stones a new deal
According to The Sun, Man City are keen to extend centre-back John Stones’ stay at the Etihad by offering him a one-year extension to his current contract that runs until the summer of 2022.
Stones put pen to paper on a six-year deal when he joined from Everton for a staggering £47.5 million back in 2016 and the extension would see him further his commitment at City until 2023.
The 24-year-old England international, who is currently on £120,000-per-week wages at Man City, has struggled to nail down a regular first-team spot under Pep Guardiola due to his struggles with injuries but the Citizens want to assure him that he is still very much in their plans for the foreseeable future by offering him an extension.
Stones would have hoped to establish himself as City’s undisputed first-choice centre-back following his heroics for England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia last summer but things haven’t quite shaped up the way he would have wanted them to.
The 25-year-old has started 20 games in the Premier League this season and has made a total of 35 appearances in all competitions so far but it has been apparent from Guardiola’s team selection that Stones is down the pecking order at the club.
Stones injured himself in City’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth early in March and spent considerable time on the sidelines before returning to action against Cardiff in April.
The form of City’s other centre-backs kept him out of the first-team even after he returned from his injury, with Nicolas Otamendi playing a key role in the club’s victory over Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final and Vincent Kompany leading the team to victories over Watford and Crystal Palace.
Guardiola has rotated between the likes of Otamendi and Kompany to partner Aymeric Laporte, who has been a standout performer and an undisputed starter for the Citizens this season.
Stones, however, returned to the starting eleven in City’s latest 1-0 victory Over Spurs in the Premier League, playing the full 90 minutes for the first time since mid-February.
To put things into perspective, City should not hesitate to secure Stones’ long-term future, as he is currently one of the best centre-backs in the country and has already established himself as a regular for England very early in his career.
The Citizens forked out a huge amount to get him on board in 2016, and although he hasn’t yet justified that huge price-tag, one should remember that he is just 25.
Stones is at a crucial stage in his career where he is just about to enter his prime years as a centre-back and City should look at him as a long-term prospect.
Kompany is nearing the twilight of his career and the Belgian is hardly going to play at the highest level for another year or two, while Otamendi might seek for greener pastures in the summer, having struggled for regular minutes in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old is amongst the best ball-playing centre-backs in the world and has also showcased the versatility to play as a right-back and in a holding midfield role, owing to his impressive long passing and distribution skills. Stones is likely to play a significant role for the Citizens in the years to come and the club just can’t afford to lose his services.
Agreed, he leaves something to be desired with his marking and decision-making at times but those are things that one would expect him to pick up gradually.
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That said, offering him a new deal would be a step in the right direction for Man City, as Pep Guardiola looks to keep his formidable core of first-team stars intact in a bid to continue the club’s dominance in the Premier League.
