ACCEPT – Everton Told To Accept Chelsea £40m Bid For John Stones
Former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers player, Danny Murphy has told Everton it is highly risky holding on to defender John Stones, as per talkSPORT.
Stones wants to leave Goodison Park and has handed in a transfer request to force through a move to Chelsea, in the aftermath of Everton’s snubs of several bids from the Premier League champions.
The Toffees are resolutely standing firm on their decision not to sell the hotly-tipped centre-back, despite the player’s request. But Murphy sees little point of the Liverpool-based club holding on to the £40m-rated England international defender against his own wishes.
“If he really wants to go, mentally it is very difficult to have a player playing to his maximum when he is somewhere else,” Murphy said on the Colin Murray show.
“From a financial point of view, it is crazy not to sell him.
“What can happen this season is, God forbid, he could do a cruciate knee ligament or he could have a bad season if his head is not right – and the huge attention on him now from the media could have an adverse effect.
“There is a risk for Everton if they keep him that they will never get that amount for him again. That is not a reason to sell, but it has got to be taken into consideration with all other factors.”
Stones has established himself as the most sought-after defender in the Premier League after becoming a regular at the heart of the Everton defence. The 21-year old joined the Toffees for £3m in 2013 under David Moyes before the Scottish boss left for Manchester United.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sees Stones as John Terry’s long-term replacement and the Portuguese gaffer has been relentlessly on the pursuit of Stones – who will become the most expensive defender in the Premier League, should Everton accept a £40m offer before the transfer window is slammed shut on Tuesday.
The Blues’ defence has been porous this season and with today’s defeat 1-2 at home to Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace, Mourinho could be forced into making some panic-buys.