1 week ago
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John Stones could speak to clubs about leaving Manchester City in five weeks but there is no sign of the centre-back signing a new deal at the Etihad.
John Stones has been backed to get a new contract at Manchester City, with former Blues centre-back Joleon Lescott labelling him the best defender at the club when he is fully fit.
Stones could talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer move in less than five weeks' time, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season, and there has been no sign of a renewal being handed to the England international just yet.
The 31-year-old has had a nightmare couple of years with injury, but seems to have put that behind him this season. He has been unavailable for just two games so far this term after picking up a minor injury in September.
Stones is continuing to impress for England under Thomas Tuchel and he has been a reliable performer for City when called upon, although he hasn't found it easy to displace Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol as Pep Guardiola's first-choice centre-back pairing.
He did captain the team that lost to Bayer Leverkusen in midweek and there have been signs this season of his best form returning. Lescott believes Stones was the best in the world in his position during the treble season and still thinks he would be in Guardiola's strongest XI if he could prove his fitness issues are behind him.
"I think he's adapted to the new role he has to play," Lescott told the Manchester Evening News. "I think the treble season, I think he was outstanding, arguably the best centre-back in the world.
"His performance in the Champions League final, I don't know if I've seen a centre-half play like that. Someone I have huge admiration for as a player and as a person, a great guy.
"I don't think it's ever going to be in question, the quality, it's just the level of fitness. Can he maintain a level that is needed to be part of the squad, to be part of the team?
"I think if he's fit, like I think if you said to the manager, John Stones is going to be fit every week, I think he plays every week. As good as Gvardiol and Ruben are, I don’t know if they’re all fit that the manager says the same about them all, but I definitely believe he says that about John Stones."
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