Manchester City have finalised the signing of John Stones from Everton for an initial £47.5m, making the 22-year-old the second most expensive defender in history after David Luiz. The transfer saga, which dominated the summer, was inadvertently revealed by Uefa on Tuesday when it published City's Champions League squad, listing Stones with shirt number 24. Everton appeared caught off guard, but Stones was already in Manchester, and City confirmed the deal hours later.
The England international has signed a six-year contract. Everton, who resisted his departure last summer, have long accepted the inevitable and will profit enormously from a player David Moyes signed from Barnsley for around £3m three years ago. Barnsley will receive between £7m and £9m due to a sell-on clause.
Everton initially demanded £50m, matching PSG's fee for David Luiz in 2014, and secured close to that sum. They are now expected to sign Ashley Williams from Swansea for around £11m, with the player having passed a medical, and are pursuing Sunderland's Lamine Koné. A deal for Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie has been agreed in principle, though Everton are unwilling to meet Palace's £30m valuation; a £25m offer could be accepted by the weekend, subject to a medical.
Stones becomes City's eighth summer signing and the first defender with immediate first-team prospects. 'I am absolutely delighted to sign for City,' he said. 'It's an ambitious club with a great manager so I can't wait to get stuck in and help them achieve their goals.' Manager Pep Guardiola added: 'I like the way he plays the game and I'm looking forward to welcoming him into the squad.'
