John Stones has expressed his wish to stay in Manchester City and hopes to “close” all the suggestions he will leave this summer.
Stones has passed an injury hit campaign in 2024-25, with only 20 times in all competitions and has not been under Pep Guardiola since February.
The defender is in the Squadron of the city for their club World Cup campaign, but still has to return after a dijing injury against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Stones also struggled to stay fit in the 2023-24 campaign, with only 12 Premier League matches, with reports that suggest that a return to Everton could be on the cards this summer.
Guardiola has said that he would like to crop his team and now has seven central defenders to choose from following the arrival in January of Vorror Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov.
The international England, which turned 31 at the end of last month, is also about to enter the last year of his contract, but is planning to fight for his place at the club.
“I am here, I want to stay here, I love it,” said Stones. “I am here to help the team, and I don't know what has been said or speculated, but I hope this closes a kind.”
Stones was from the City Opening Game of the World Cup opening game, making them beat Wydad AC 2-0 thanks to goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
They are confronted with all the following in what the first match will be between one side of England and a team of the United Arab Emirates in a competition, with stones ready when he is called.
“I am suitable again, feel great and I am excited to get started,” said Stones. “It is difficult if you are injured.
“There have been points where you think you've made all this effort, you spend all your life, especially how I am approaching my life and football or football.
“I give everything, on and next to the field to be here or to be ready to play games and those are the dark days.”
Stones has played a key role in the success of the city since arrival in the club in 2016, 277 performances in all matches under Guardiola, making him the eighth most used player during the term of the Spaniard in the Etihad Stadium.
He enjoyed a nice campaign in 2022-23, so that the citizens helped their first Champions League title, which often stepped from the middle of the middle of the middle of the middle.
But during the battle of the city last year, injuries played their share. Stones was one of the many players who miss large parts of the campaign, together with colleague defenders Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake.
“It's frustrating for me,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I find it very challenging mentally.
“I had some very low points last season and I just have to come back and once you come over those things, you can't really see the end of the tunnel when they continue to happen.
“It is frustrating for the team, for myself, for the manager, that you are not available to help them, and you have to find another way to be near the team.”