John Stones confirms Man City exit as rivals weigh up move

Updated: 1 May 2026 19:02 BST | 7 min read

Matthew Judge | Editor

John Stones has announced he will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, bringing an end to his trophy-laden spell at the Etihad Stadium.

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Stones became Pep Guardiola’s second signing as City manager when arriving from Everton for €55million in 2016, and has gone on to play an integral part in helping the club dominate English football under the Catalan.

The 31-year-old has made 293 appearances in all competitions for the Cityzens, winning 16 trophies including the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 2022-23, in what remains the greatest season in the club's history.

Current ETV

John Stones

D (CR)

Man City

John Stones

D (CR)

Man City

ETV Range

€11.2M - €13.7M

However, Stones has struggled with a series of injuries in recent seasons, making just 16 appearances so far this term as City look to add to their Carabao Cup triumph by winning the Premier League and FA Cup.

Announcing he will bring down the curtain on his 10-year spell at City in the summer, Stones said in an emotional video posted on Instagram: “What does Manchester City mean to me? It’s been my home for the past 10 years and it will be my home for the rest of my life.

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

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“At the start of my career I would never have thought I’d be in this position. Firstly achieving everything [I wanted to] but the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.”

While Stones will look to end his spell at City on a high as Guardiola’s side aim to pip Arsenal and Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup respectively, the defender will also hope to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup.

The former Barnsley centre-back helped the Three Lions book their place at FIFA’s flagship tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, featuring in the qualification victories over Latvia, Serbia and Albania.

Analysis: Stones attracting interest from leading European clubs

Now that Stones has confirmed that he will be seeking pastures new at the end of the season, the defender is expected to attract interest from several teams in the coming weeks and months.

After breaking the news that Stones was expected to leave City on a free transfer, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported leading clubs in Europe are weighing up moves for the England international.

While The Athletic did not reveal which specific clubs are believed to be interested in signing Stones, Spanish publication Fichajes claim the ex-Everton man has offered his services to La Liga giants Barcelona.

It remains to be seen where Stones will end up next season, with City team-mate Bernardo Silva having also announced he will leave Guardiola’s side when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

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