Manchester City 'to open contract talks with John Stones'

Manchester City reportedly want to sit down with central defender John Stones to discuss a contract extension with the England international.

The 24-year-old struggled for Premier League football at City in the second half of last season but impressed for England on their run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and has started the new campaign in Pep Guardiola's first XI.

Stones has a contract at the Etihad Stadium until the end of the 2021-22 campaign, and it is understood that he collects in the region of £120,000 a week at the Premier League champions.

However, according to The Sun, City want to discuss an extension to the centre-back's contract, which could include a boost of another £50,000 a week on his basic salary to reflect his importance to the team.

City have started their Premier League title defence with back-to-back wins over Arsenal and Huddersfield Town.