Martinez: We’ll not sell Stones in January, but there is uncertainty in the summer
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has reiterated that star defender John Stones isn’t for sale in January, but can’t commit to keeping the player in the summer.
The young defender has been chased by Chelsea for the past 6 months as even put in a transfer request, but the club kept hold of the player and Martinez says they will do the same in January.
“It doesn’t matter if Chelsea come back in for him. We created a squad to see how far we could go over 10 months. January doesn’t come into consideration,” said Martinez.
“We’ll never lose anyone in January — unless it’s somebody who hasn’t been playing and we need to find a solution. If he’s a top performer, it’s not even a consideration.”
“When you are right in the middle of a season, I think players understand that you can’t sell someone if you can’t replace him,” he added.
“I think the uncertainty comes in the summer, where everyone speaks about possibilities.
“January is a window to solve problems with players who are not featuring as often as they feel they should, or to bring in players from a lower league to give them an opportunity.”
How much is John Stones worth now?
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