John Stones Next Club Odds: Four Destinations for Manchester City's Departing Defender
With John Stones set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, attention is turning to where the experienced centre-back could head next.
At 31, Stones leaves City with six Premier League titles and a Champions League winner's medal to his name - available on a free transfer, but with a well-documented injury record that has restricted him to just 15 appearances this season.
Here at FreeBets.com, we’ve analysed the market and looked at some potential next destinations for the player.
John Stones Next Club Odds
With John Stones set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season, attention is turning to where the experienced centre-back could head next - and below we assess the most likely destinations.
| Club | Odds |
| Everton | 2/1 |
| AC Milan | 3/1 |
| Saudi Pro League Club | 9/2 |
| Barnsley | 50/1 |
Odds are implied probabilities based on current transfer reporting - no current markets are available at UK betting sites.
Everton
Everton are the frontrunners, and the Moyes reunion angle makes this one feel almost inevitable on paper.
David Moyes was the manager who first signed Stones for Everton from Barnsley for £3m in January 2013, and multiple reports have named the Toffees as one of the Premier League sides most genuinely willing to take him on a free this summer.
For Everton, signing a former England regular on a free is the kind of deal that gets fans genuinely excited.
The obvious caveat is the wage. Stones is reportedly earning around £250,000 a week at City, and whatever Everton offer will be a significant step down from that.
Any deal is likely to be short and performance-based, but with Moyes actively pushing and Stones' ties to the north of England well-established, this is the call to beat.
AC Milan
Milan have been the most active European club in the chase, with reports that the Rossoneri have already begun laying the foundations for a summer move and have held direct talks with Stones' camp.
Massimiliano Allegri wants an experienced ball-playing centre-back to anchor his back three, and Stones - at his best - is exactly that profile.
The free transfer element removes the biggest barrier for a club that can't compete financially with the Premier League, and the appeal of playing regularly under one of Europe's most decorated coaches in the San Siro is genuine.
The catch is that this ground has been covered before. Kyle Walker went to Milan on loan in January 2025, struggled for minutes, picked up an injury and ended up at Burnley by the summer.
Allegri will know the risks of signing a 30-something City defender with a fragile injury record, but if Stones can prove his fitness before the window opens, Milan are a serious option.
Saudi Pro League
Saudi officials have made their interest known, and with MLS clubs also monitoring the situation, Stones is not short of lucrative exit options if Europe doesn't work out.
The financial case is obvious - a short-term deal in the Saudi Pro League would likely represent the biggest payday of his career, with his £250k-a-week City salary potentially dwarfed by what the Gulf clubs can offer.
At 31 with a body that has let him down repeatedly over the last two seasons, a reduced fixture schedule and no European football midweek has a practical appeal that is hard to argue with.
His agent's reported focus has been on Europe and the Premier League first. Saudi is the break-glass option - and it may yet get pressed.
Barnsley
You can't write a John Stones next-club piece without the 50/1 hometown shot, and we're not going to try.
Stones came through the Barnsley academy, signed his first professional contract at Oakwell and made his senior debut at 17 in March 2012.
The Tykes are in League One, which makes a summer arrival logistically almost impossible given the wage gulf - the entire Barnsley squad costs a fraction of what Stones earns in a month.
But testimonials, ambassadorial roles and end-of-career homecomings have all been discussed by supporters, and if a couple of seasons in the Premier League or Serie A take him to 33 or 34, an Oakwell return becomes a far more serious conversation.
