The Stones operation is now finalized. Inter has won the race for the central defender who was left without a contract at 32, beating the competition from Chelsea and Arsenal. According to the Corriere della Sera, the Englishman is ready to land in Milan based on a verbal agreement: a two-year deal worth 4 million euros net per season.
In ten years with Manchester City, Stones has accumulated a trophy cabinet of twenty titles, including six Premier League and one Champions League. With England he achieved third place at the last World Cup. The Nerazzurri club has chosen to focus on a free agent with international experience to make up for the departures of Acerbi, De Vrij, and Darmian, who have left the squad numerically short in the defensive department.
The arrival of the English center-back does not close the door to Cristian Romero, but it does change the market priorities. Marotta and Ausilio can now work more calmly on the negotiations for the 28-year-old Argentine from Tottenham. The costs of the operation remain high: 50 million euros are needed for the transfer fee, plus at least 6 million per year in salary. The Nerazzurri management has secured an immediate reinforcement and can now more calmly evaluate a second move in defense.
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