Everton defender John Stones reportedly told Everton officials that he was ready to leave the club at the end of last season.
The young defender is wanted by Premier League champions Chelsea, and according to reports this morning, he informed his current club that he was ready for a move to a bigger side.
Chelsea have already had a formal bid of £20million turned down for the centre-back, but Jose Mourinho is prepared to pay as high as £34m for the 21-year-old.
Mourinho sees Stones as the perfect long-term replacement for John Terry and he is keen to get the duo playing together for a couple of seasons before the veteran retires.
The Toffees however are still reluctant to sell as Roberto Martinez tries desperately to keep his team together for next season, but with a second formal bid looming, it’s looking likely that Stones will become a Chelsea player before the start of the new season.
The reason behind Everton wanting so much for Stones is because of a sell-on clause in his contract.
Barnsley would be owed 15% of the transfer fee if the centre-back was to be sold, meaning they could get around £5m for someone they sold for just £3m a few years ago.
According to some reports, Everton want as high as £36m for the 21-year-old.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt