Chelsea’s hope of signing in-demand Everton’s centre back John Stones has been dealt a major blow after report claims the club is not ready to sell the star this summer transfer window.
According to the Express, the Toffees boss Roberto Martinez insists he wants to keep the highly rated England international defender for a couple of seasons.
“Clearly he is a player that we admire, clearly that is going to be the same in other clubs,” Martinez said.
“They are going to be admiring his ability and what he is as a footballer but he is an Everton player and as you can imagine he is a big part of what we are trying to achieve in the future.
Jose Mourinho had on several occasions stated his admiration for the young star and sees him as a potential replacement for the ageing skipper John Terry, who just have a year left on his contract.
The Blues had initially bided £26million fee for the the 21-year old star but this was rejected by the Toffees.
Reports also claim Manchester United are interested in the player and are ready to negotiate a player plus cash deal with the Toffees after failing to secure the signature of La Liga star Sergio Ramos.
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