Man City centre-back search continues: Where next for outcast John Stones?

 

Nathan Ake has joined already and the expectation is that another centre-back will come in before the transfer window closes. For Manchester City, they are still looking to rectify a problem area ahead of the October 5th deadline. Ake's versatility means he can play left-back if need be, but considering Fernandinho's advancing years and Aymeric Laporte's injury concerns, Pep Guardiola cannot rely on the pair and Ake to shoulder the defensive burden in the coming campaign. 

 

It's also expected that unwanted centre-back pair Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones will depart sooner rather than later. The latter supposedly wants to stay and fight for his place under Guardiola, however if Stones wishes to reignite his stalling career, he is better off leaving in pursuit of regular first team action. 

 

When Stones moved to City in 2016 for a reported £47.5m, it seemed a match made in heaven for both player and Guardiola. Granted, there were weaknesses to Stones' game that needed ironing out, but he was a ball playing defender that Guardiola craved. In the four years since, though, the 26-year-old has dropped further and further down the pecking order. Injuries have hindered his impact in recent seasons, but even when fit, the City boss has routinely overlooked the England international. 

 

Stones may have started two of City's last five league matches of the season, but one of those - the 2-1 win over Bournemouth - came shortly before the FA Cup semi-final meeting with Arsenal, with Guardiola looking to keep first choice centre-back Aymeric Laporte rested for the clash at Wembley. As expected, Stones played no part in the eventual 2-0 FA Cup loss to the Gunners. 

 

It remains to be seen how big a role, if any, Stones will play for City this season, yet a failure to make even the bench for their season opener against Wolves next week will be a fairly big indication at his position in the current setup. Regardless, Stones' top tier career is now at a crossroads and 26 years of age, he needs regular game time. The issue is whether he does so in England or abroad. 

 

There remains potential suitors in England's top tier, with London pair West Ham and Arsenal both linked with a move for Stones. His playing style wuld undoubtedly suit the latter, however the capture of Gabriel and return of William Saliba from Lille and Saint-Etienne, respectively, means Arsenal have a total of eight centre-backs on the books at present. Mikel Arteta is unlikely to want to add to that. While David Moyes would welcome the chance to add another centre-back to the squad, West Ham seem hellbent on signing James Tarkowski before next month's deadline, so a move for Stones may be out of the question for the time being. 

 

A knack for playing the ball out from the back, reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'passing', remains a precious trait in the modern game with centre-backs required to instigate attacks from defence. Indeed, Stones is more than capable of abiding by a possession based approach a manager wishes to implement. Of all players to start a Premier League match last season, Stones boasted the best success rate (94.2%) to add to his reputation. 

 

 

However, as is the case with his style of play, Stones is prone to lapes in concentration. It's key to smooth out those mistakes, but even so; only Ederson (14) and Nicolas Otamendi (8) have committed more errors leading to an opposition shot than Stones (7) of all City players in the Premier League since his 2016 arrival. Of those seven, three resulted in an opposition goal. 

 

And with Jules Kounde another linked with a move to City of late, Stones' chances of returning to the first team fold continue to drop. What is likely is before the close of the transfer window, City will add another centre-back and to save from becoming a spent force at 26, Stones simply needs to leave for pastures new to rebuild his reputation. That may also be away from the harsh spotlight of the Premier League. 

 

Chris Smalling was in a similar position with Manchester United last summer before he secured a loan move to Serie A side Roma. It was a left-field transfer by the centre-back, but he impressed in Italy to secure a spot in the WhoScored Serie A Team of the Season. Stones would perhaps be wise to follow suit and move to a league where his talents would be better appreciated rather than vilified. 

 

The Premier League, too, is renowned as being one of the quicker leagues in Europe. Defenders have less time on the ball before being pressed by opposition forwards, which isn't so often the case in, say, Spain or Italy, where the slower style would benefit his key strengths. 

 

Under contract for another two years, Stones could continue to bide his time with City and hope for another shot at consolidating a spot in Pep Guardiola's XI, but at this stage in career, he desperately needs regular game time, which is anything but a guarantee for the Cityzens. With a little over two weeks until the transfer window closes, there is still time for Stones to secure a City exit with it looking increasingly likely that he'll find himself watching on from the sidelines in the team's push for domestic and continental glory.

Man City centre-back search continues: Where next for outcast John Stones?