Manchester City has recently confirmed on their official website that John Stones has penned a new long-term contract. It has been revealed that the England international has committed his future to the Mancunian club until the summer of 2026 (via www.mancity.com).
Stones’ Excellent Form At Manchester Last Season
The 27-year-old had a brilliant season at the Etihad Stadium recently as he managed to establish himself as a key member of Pep Guardiola’s defence. Stones made 35 appearances for Man City in the last campaign, scoring five goals in the process on all fronts.
More importantly, the English defensive ace gave a good account of himself on the defensive end of the field after he averaged 1.0 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 2.5 clearances per game in Premier League football. He even distributed the ball with conviction based on his pass completion rate of 93.3% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Stones is currently playing some of the best football of his career, so it makes a lot of sense for him to pen a fresh long-term deal with the reigning Premier League champions ahead of the new campaign. He has already struck up a good defensive partnership with Ruben Dias and could get even better over the next few years.
Stones Pens Long-Term Contract At Man City: Good Move For Both Parties?
Stones can be a decent defensive presence at the back when he is getting regular game time on the field. He is a composed presence on the ball and can time his challenges well to make a few crucial interceptions for his team. The Barnsley-born talent can even put his strong frame on the line to block a goal-bound shot from the opposition. He is also quite vocal when organising his backline and has got enough pace to make some recovering runs at the back.
The English centre-back can even put his foot through the ball when needed to clear the danger inside his half. Hence, Guardiola can rely on him to have another strong campaign as long as the player can steer clear of injuries.
Stones is currently one of the first names in Guardiola’s teamsheet and could help Man City maintain their stranglehold in domestic football. At 27, the 49-time England international still has plenty of football left in him, so his recent contract extension seems like a good move for both the player and the Mancunian club in this off-season as they look to bring more success to the Etihad in the coming seasons.
