Following his departure from Manchester City, John Stones has found a new club. The center back has signed a contract with Inter Milan that runs through June 30, 2028.
Following the departures of Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij, the reigning Italian champions were on the hunt for an experienced player to anchor their defense. They settled on John Stones, whose contract with Manchester City had also not been renewed and who is now moving to Milan on a free transfer. In doing so, Inter prevailed over notable competition; Arsenal, Chelsea, and Juventus Turin are also said to have expressed interest.
In addition to the ambition to compete for the championship in Italy, the 32-year-old—who has signed a two-year contract—is being enticed to the Italian fashion capital with a reported annual salary of four million euros net. “I’m overwhelmed by so many emotions and am looking forward to starting this new chapter and this new journey,” Stones is quoted as saying on Inter’s website: “I couldn’t imagine a better place for it.”
For the first time in his career, the defender is venturing abroad—an adventure he’s looking forward to. “This was something I’ve always wanted to do, and when this opportunity came up, I talked it over with my family, and we all agreed: We wanted to come here.” He’s heard a lot about Milan and is already looking forward to “discovering the city, the culture, and the people. It’s also great that I already have some friends here with whom I can share this experience.”
Biggest Success Against His New Employer
After stints with his youth club FC Barnsley, Everton FC, and Manchester City—where he played for the past ten years—Stones is now playing outside his native England for the first time. The then-22-year-old talent joined the Sky Blues in 2016 for around 55 million euros—at the time, the second-highest transfer fee ever paid for a defender. Subsequently, the player with 94 caps for England was part of the most successful era in the club’s history.
His list of achievements includes six English league titles, three FA Cup victories, five League Cup wins, as well as a Champions League title and a Club World Cup title on the international stage. As is well known, he prevailed in the 2023 Champions League final against none other than his future employer, Inter (1–0). But that’s not enough for him. “I’ve been fortunate to win many titles throughout my career, and I want to bring that experience here to help the team and the club,” said Stones, who also made it clear: “I have an immense hunger to win even more.”
After 295 appearances across all competitions for Man City, Stones now wants to expand his trophy case in Italy. There, he’ll also be reunited with Manuel Akanji, alongside whom he played in defense for three years in Manchester. The Swiss player, however, knew nothing about it beforehand. “We’ve spoken, but I didn’t give him any information about what was going on,” Stones said. “I wanted to make sure everything was finalized before I told him, but I’m sure he already had an inkling and had probably seen the news. I’m really looking forward to playing with him again. He’s one of the best defenders I’ve ever played with, and I’m thrilled to be back playing alongside him.”
On Saturday (1:30 p.m.), Inter and Man City will face off in a friendly match in Hong Kong; however, since the transfer has only just been finalized, Stones is unlikely to be on the field with his former teammates just yet. He could make his competitive debut on August 22, when Inter kicks off the Serie A season against AC Monza.