John Stones is set to move to Manchester City for a record £50million and terms could be finalised as soon as the end of the week, according to Daily Mail.
City re-opened talks with Everton over the England defender after the Merseyside club rejected a £40m bid earlier this month.
The £50m deal will be a record transfer fee for an English player, edging out Raheem Sterling’s £49m switch from Liverpool to Manchester City.
Everton are resigned to losing 22-year-old Stones, who has told the club he wants to leave Goodison Park for the Etihad. However, they insist that City must raise their offer to £50m, having turned down a proposal to take striker Wilfried Bony – who shares the same agent as Stones – in part exchange.
City are now preparing a revised offer for Stones, who made his first pre- season appearance since Euro 2016 against MK Dons on Tuesday night, and are increasingly optimistic that a deal will be done.
Personal terms will not hold up an agreement, while Everton manager Ronald Koeman told Stones’ representatives last week the player should decide whether to stay or go as soon as possible.
Speaking before the friendly against Borussia Dortmund here on Thursday, City boss Pep Guardiola said: ‘I think by August 31 we will have the right players to play the way we want.’
Guardiola is keen to strengthen his defence and will also consider a move for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci if he feels that City captain Vincent Kompany’s injury problems will keep him out for a significant portion of the season.
Guardiola is a long-time admirer of Bonucci but Juve have put a prohibitive £50m valuation on the Italy international to ward off interest from the Premier League, and City are unlikely to pay that much for a player who will turn 30 in nine months.
Bonucci has also said he wants to stay in Turin, although Juve have signed Medhi Benatia on loan from Bayern Munich as a possible replacement.
City’s interest in Stones and Bonucci is likely to signal the end of Eliaquim Mangala’s stay at the club just two years after his £42m move from FC Porto
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