PEP GUARDIOLA CONFIDENT OF CAPTURING £50 MILLION PRODIGY

Manchester City is believed to be confident of securing the services of John Stones from Everton this summer for a deal worth £50 million ($66 million).

The Merseyside club repelled offers from Chelsea last season but Stones is believed to have told Everton he wants to join Pep Guardiola at City, according toThe Times.

The 22-year-old prodigy fits the profile of a Guardiola center-back, such as Gerard Pique at Barcelona and Jerome Boateng at Bayern Munich who are capable of playing out the back.

There are said to be concerns over captain Vincent Kompany’s fitness, whileGuardiola may look at transforming Fernandinho into a center-back.

Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala are other options for the Spaniard at the back but neither have impressed on a regular basis at the Etihad.