Man City Announce John Stones Exit—Nine Clubs the Serial Premier League Champion Could Join

Bernardo Silva has already been confirmed to be leaving the Etihad Stadium.

John Stones is leaving Man City. | Pedro Porru/MB Media/Getty Images

Manchester City will say goodbye to defender John Stones when his contract expires at the end of the season, the second long-serving veteran to be leaving the club this summer following the recent confirmation of Bernardo Silva’s departure.

Stones signed with City from Everton shortly after manager Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016, meaning he will soon have completed 10 seasons with the club. City paid £50 million ($67.4 million at today’s rate) to make the Englishman the most expensive defender in Premier League history at that time.

Stones has played a huge role in City’s successes, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League—a famous goal-line clearance against Liverpool in January 2019 even effectively decided that season’s title race in City’s favor.

In response to the announcement being posted on Instagram, City fan and broadcaster Natalie Pike referred to Stones as “one of the greatest Premier League defenders of all time.”

But he has always struggled with injuries, averaging fewer than 20 Premier League appearances each season. Since City’s treble campaign in 2022–23, the 31-year-old has played in progressively fewer matches year on year—he’s missed a considerable chunk of games this season because of a thigh problem and has primarily been a backup player even when available.

Abdukodir Khusanov has emerged as a credible starter after a difficult first few months when he joined the club in January 2025, while Joško Gvardiol had made the transition from left back to center back prior to a leg break from which he has almost recovered. With Rúben Dias still Guardiola’s most preferred option when fit and Marc Guéhi also on board, Stones is potentially fifth choice.

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How Man City Will Replace John Stones

In signing Guéhi in January, opting to pay a transfer fee so that he could arrive immediately rather than wait for him to become a free agent this summer, Manchester City have been proactive and might consider Stones to have already been replaced.

Even if Nathan Aké also leaves as expected, City won’t be short of center backs come the start of next season—as long as Dias and Gvardiol are both healthy and stay that way. Right now, Khusanov and Guéhi are blossoming as a partnership.

City’s transfer priorities lie further up the pitch, with midfield an area to target because of Silva’s exit the year after deciding not to offer Kevin De Bruyne a new contract. It has been reported this week that Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández is emerging as a target as chaos threatens to reign in west London.

Man City have effectively already replaced Stones. | Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

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Nine Clubs John Stones Could Join

Stones joining Barcelona could be mutually beneficial. | Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

Stones will celebrate his 32nd birthday at the end of May and so is by no means on the brink of retirement from an age perspective. But his injury record would suggest he might be better suited to leaving the Premier League, where physicality rules.

He has always been known as a technically-skilled center back, so Spain, Italy or France would be logical. Germany’s Bundesliga, while known as being physical, is not as punishing as the Premier League, and could also be an option.

Bayern Munich have regularly recruited from English teams in recent seasons, including Stones’s former England teammate Harry Kane, and could be an asset to the squad if another club comes in for Kim Min-jae.

This being a free transfer immediately puts Barcelona on red alert, especially for a ball-playing center back with a decade of Guardiola influence under his belt, while even Real Madrid might fancy a low-cost addition to the backline given uncertainty about David Alaba.

In Serie A, Juventus or AC Milan might view it as an opportunity to recruit a proven winner after being left in Inter’s dust this season. Lyon, Marseille or Monaco could be options in Ligue 1. But Paris Saint-Germain are well stocked in defense and probably would have no need for Stones.

If Stones is particularly set on staying in England, Everton would be the romantic choice. It was there that his career truly took off and the Toffees are back on the up now that David Moyes—the manager who signed Stones as a raw 18-year-old in 2013—has returned to the club.

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