John Stones has opted to join Italian Serie A champions Inter Milan after leaving Manchester City this summer, according to reports.
Stones, 32, has agreed to a two-year deal with Inter, running until June 2028, with a salary of around €4 million net per season. The move marks a significant opportunity for the England international to extend his career at the highest level of European football.
Stones joined Manchester City from Everton in August 2016 for an initial £47.5 million, going on to spend a decade at the club and winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups, and three EFL Cups. His final season at the club brought one last piece of silverware – an FA Cup winners' medal – before he departed as a free agent on 1 July 2026.
Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Atletico Madrid had each been linked with interest in Stones at various stages of the summer, but it is the San Siro that has won his signature. The lure of playing for one of Europe's most storied clubs in a new country at the final stage of a remarkable career proved the deciding factor.
Stones's exit draws a line under one of the most important defensive partnerships in Manchester City's recent history, with the Barnsley-born defender having been a central figure in the squad across the full span of Pep Guardiola's decade at the club. Viana and Maresca have already begun to address the gap left by his departure, with Marc Guehi having joined the club earlier in 2026 and Vitor Reis returning from his loan spell at Girona to press his case for a role in the new manager's defensive plans.
The depth of experience Stones carried – not just the trophies, but the understanding of how to manage big games, big moments and the demands of a club that operates at the very top of the game at all times – is not something that can be immediately replicated by a younger player, and Maresca will be acutely aware of that deficit as he shapes his defensive options for the campaign ahead.
Stones's departure from Manchester City marks a new chapter in his career, one that will see him compete in the Champions League and Serie A. As he embarks on this new journey, one thing is certain: his name will continue to be remembered long after the contracts have run their course.
Source: Yahoo Sports