Stones linked to Inter: Arsenal and Chelsea are following him

Arsenal and Chelsea have included John Stones among their defensive targets. The English central defender, a free agent after ten seasons at Manchester City, is attracting interest from top clubs despite doubts about his physical fitness.

According to The Athletic, the Gunners are considering signing the 32-year-old, while the Blues are keeping an eye on him among the center-backs to monitor. The England international, with 94 caps for the Three Lions, has won 20 trophies with City.

“His mix of experience, leadership, and winning mentality is unmatched. While some potential buyers may have doubts about the long-term fitness of the England international with 94 caps, not all teams are discouraged by Stones’ injury history,” writes the American publication.

Injuries are the main question mark. He has accumulated just over a thousand minutes in the league since the start of the 2024-25 season, with his last significant contribution coming in 2022-23, when his build-up skills were showcased in a midfield role during the treble-winning season.

“It might be risky to claim that a club wants to sign Stones as a regular starter right away, but his fundamental qualities are undoubtedly sought after, especially by teams that tend to dominate possession,” adds The Athletic. The defender recently helped England reach the World Cup semifinals, providing solidity to Thomas Tuchel’s defense.

Since 2018-19, no Premier League center-back with over 900 minutes played has recorded a higher passing accuracy than his 94%. The main task has always been to keep it simple, play short passes, and provide the foundation for build-up play. Only 10 defenders out of 232 in the sample analyzed have a lower percentage than his 6% of long passes (over 35 meters), and five of these were teammates at City.

The effectiveness of his abilities became clear during the 2022-23 treble-winning season. During that year’s Champions League final, his hybrid role shone as he completed all six of his dribbles that night against Inter. The last player to have completed more dribbles on the biggest stage of European club football was Lionel Messi in Barcelona’s win over the Nerazzurri in 2015.