Chelsea are reportedly looking at the option to sign Manchester City and England defender John Stones.
Stones has fallen out-of-favour under Pep Guardiola, and he could be on his way out of the Etihad ahead of the 2020-21 season.
As per Daily Mirror, Chelsea could make a move for Stones even if they secure the signing of Brighton’s Lewis Dunk.
Dunk would apparently cost around £40 million, while Daily Mail claim Stones could be available for around £20 million – less than half of the £47.5 million that City paid Everton to sign him in 2016.
Stones, who has played over 130 times for Manchester City, has just two years remaining on his current deal at the club.
John Stones to Chelsea – A wise decision by Lampard?
When John Stones signed for Manchester City in 2016, Premier League pundits, and Manchester City and England fans were ecstatic, as he was set to work under Pep Guardiola, who many thought would transform into a world-class defender. But, that hasn’t been the case as Stones has struggled to reach the lofty potential that many had set for him.
The England international is no longer an important member of the City team, with Guardiola playing the likes of midfielder Fernandinho, youngster Eric Garcia, and 32-year-old Nicolas Otamendi ahead of him.
Stones has another hurdle in the 2020-21 season, and may not be able to win back his place in the starting XI following the signing of defender Nathan Ake.
The England international could be a decent signing for Frank Lampard and Chelsea, who let in a whopping 54 goals in the 2019-20 Premier League season.
Lampard could not find the ideal centre-back pairing, with all three of his senior central defenders – Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen being sloppy and inconsistent at the back.
The manager’s decision to sign Lewis Dunk and Stones could be a clever move. Dunk has shown great leadership at the back for Brighton, which has been lacking in the Chelsea defence, and he could organise the Blues backline, while Stones can create attacks with his passing ability.
Lampard – like a few other Premier League managers – likes his teams to build from the back, and a composed dribbler and passer like Stones fits the bill.
If Chelsea can make Stones regain his confidence and form, the Blues could very well close the gap with Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.