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Manchester City have a key player out of contract at the end of the season but the dilemma has been getting easier
John Stones has said on more than one occasion that he would be open to ending his career at Manchester City. The centre-back has been at the Etihad for as long as Pep Guardiola, and as he approaches a decade at the club and ahead of his 32nd birthday he knows that his next contract could well be his last major deal.
With just six months until his time at City runs out, the club have to decide pretty soon whether they want to give Stones to opportunity to fulfil his wish. Having gone through a major rebuild last summer and said goodbye to some club greats, does their No.5 warrant being part of the revolution or another sad farewell?
Right now, it is unfortunately sliding to the latter. Stones started the season with three consecutive games in the team and looked to be a strong part of Guardiola's new-look side. However, while he has been turned to in the Champions League more often than not, he has started just one Premier League game since August.
It feels more coincidence than not but that one start came in the defeat to Aston Villa, which gives the defender a record of three defeats in four games in the Premier League in a City team that have otherwise won 10 out of 15. When City have found their feet, Stones inevitably hasn't been a part of it.
Guardiola had little to say about Stones' latest injury after he was ruled out of the game against Sunderland, and the player hasn't travelled to Madrid for the Champions League game. Whether minor or major, it doesn't look as though we are close to the former Everton man coming into the City side and staying there.
Nobody will ever forget the Champions League final in 2023 and on his day Stones is the best centre-back in the game, but there really haven't been many days this season. With just over 900 minutes in all competitions this term, and just 63 in the league since August, Guardiola has been preferring others.
With Vitor Reis signed in the January window and having a productive loan getting plenty of minutes in La Liga with Girona, sporting director Hugo Viana already have a succession plan in place. That will make it easier for him if he does decide that Stones isn't worth a new deal.
There is still time for the Barnsley Beckenbauer to extend his incredible stay at City and get the farewell he has wanted, but something needs to change.
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