John Stones’s next club: Five teams who could sign Man City legend after summer exit confirmed

John Stones has announced that he will be leaving Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, bringing an end to a glorious 10-year career at the Etihad Stadium.

The 31-year-old defender became Pep Guardiola’s second signing as Citizens manager in 2016, and he has since earned admirers for transforming into a pioneering ball-playing centre-back, redefining the defensive role during a hugely successful era in the club’s history.

Known for his composure, sublime passing range, last-ditch defending and ability to move into midfield, Stones was a key cog in the Man City machine that won their first Champions League trophy during their historic treble-winning season in 2022-23.

Stones has won a total of 19 trophies at Man City since joining the club from Everton for a reported £47.5m, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five EFL Cup, most recently lifting the latter after the Citizens beat Arsenal 2-0 in last month’s final at Wembley.

The 87-cap England international has had plenty of highs at the Etihad, but he has also experienced several lows, largely due to a plethora or frustrating injury and fitness problems.

Stones is yet to reach 300 club appearances for Man City (currently 293) and has failed to start more than 23 Premier League matches in a single season since his debut campaign in 2016-17.

The defender has missed close to 60 matches for Man City across all competitions since the start of the 2024-25 season due to injury or fitness-related issues, and has been limited to only 12 starts and four substitute outings under Guardiola this term.

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Stones is still regarded as one of Man City’s best defenders when fit, but he currently finds himself behind the likes of Ruben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov and January signing Marc Guehi in the centre-back pecking order, while Josko Gvardiol will return to full fitness ahead of the new campaign.

With that in mind, the decision has been made for Stones to leave Man City at the end of the season and become a free agent this summer.

While Man City confirmed the decision on their official website, Stones has posted an emotional video on Instagram announcing his departure.

Stones: “Every dream has been smashed out of the park”

“What does Manchester City mean to me? It's been my home for the past 10 years, and it'll be my home for the rest of my life,” Stones said.

"It's been a rollercoaster in many ways. I came as a kid and now leaving as a man, becoming a father, a husband, and on the pitch a very fulfilled player I suppose and living all my dreams out, and lifting all the things that I came here to achieve.

"At the start of my career here, I never would've thought I'd be in this position. Firstly, achieving everything, but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.

"From day one, as soon as I came, I felt at home and felt loved. I think I can only relate it to me as a little kid; if you said to me that I'd be playing at Man City, winning everything, the fans are singing your name, your song throughout the stadium, wherever you go in the world, I don't think I would've believed them.

"The Man City fans, yeah they mean everything to me. I hope that I've made them proud. I hope that they can relate to me as a person, and as a player, with how I've played, how I've represented the club, and will do for the rest of my life.

"Man City will always be my home, and I'm thankful, honestly, from the bottom of my heart. This is my team forever, it always will be, and I can't speak... I haven't got the words to kind of say what I feel and how much I love everything about it.”

Five clubs who could sign John Stones this summer

At this stage, it remains to be seen whether Stones – who turns 32 next month – is keen to continue his career in England or experience a fresh challenge abroad.

Stones has regularly been linked with a return to Everton, where he played 95 times for Everton over a three-year period after signing from boyhood club Barnsley for around £3m.

David Moyes was in charge of the Toffees during his first spell at the club when Stones was on Merseyside, and the defender’s connection with the Scotsman, as well as the possibility of European qualification, could tempt him to make the move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer.

West Ham United are another English club that have been credited with an interest in Stones, but their hopes of landing a player of his calibre, earning well in excess of £100,000 per week, will depend on whether they can avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan are believed to have been monitoring Stones’s situation and could step up their pursuit of the defender knowing that he will be available for free in a few months’ time.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, managed by Stones’s former Man City teammate Vincent Kompany, have also been linked with the Englishman, who is currently focused on building up his fitness in the hope of representing his country at the 2026 World Cup.