FC Barcelona may need some centre-back help this upcoming season and the key man may be Everton and English centre-back, John Stones
John Stones has been one of the most talked about centre-backs in Europe this past season and he is about to get even more popular after the Euro 2016 tournament. The defender, who currently plays for Everton in the BPL, has been linked to some big clubs.
He has been heavily linked with the likes of Chelsea, who tried to sign him in the winter transfer window. Everton reportedly turned down offers as big as 50 million euros to keep the defender with the Toffees. But it is only a matter of time before he departs Goodison Park.
One new team that has been popping up recently in terms of links to Stones has been FC Barcelona. The Catalan giants are reportedly interested in his services as they look for defensive help this summer. FC Barcelona may be losing two defenders from their backline as Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves has been linked with a move to Juventus.
Alves’s move looks all but confirmed as he will leave FC Barcelona after a number of years of service to the club. Mascherano’s deal is a little bit more complicated but even he isn’t so set on his future being at the Camp Nou as he told Spanish newspaper AS.
“But a day will come when all this ends. I don’t know if it will be now, or in one year, or two, or three.”
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With Mascherano non-committed to his future, the confirmed departure of Marc Bartra, and the inconsistencies of Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu, Barcelona are smart to go after some defenders. They were linked to many players including German Mats Hummels but nothing has come from those rumors. If the Stones would come to Barcelona, it would be interesting to see how he would fit.
There is no denying that he could fit right in. Luis Suarez, who previously played in the BPL, has fit in nicely with FC Barcelona so Stones could do so as well. But he needs to change his game slightly. Stones is somewhat more similar to Gerard Pique than Javier Mascherano in terms of playing style. Both love to move up forward with the ball when they make an interception and both love the ball at their feet.
Both are a threat in the air and have the athleticism to even play on the wings from time to time, although it is not ideal for FC Barcelona to even attempt that. The only difference is right now is that Pique is the better suited for FC Barcelona’s style of play due to his better control on the ball and watching Stones dribbling himself into trouble doesn’t help the Englishmen’s case either.
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Mascherano was always the polar opposite to Pique and his more defensive style contrasted with Pique’s attack minded personality. If you have Stones and Pique up there, who would have to change their style? Both players can’t be attacking or in an attack-minded state the whole time. Disaster would occur. Stones would likely have to change his approach slightly.
The Barcelona back line has to get younger and with the departure of Alves along with reports that Marc-Andre Ter-Stegen starting as the #1 goalie next season, FC Barcelona will have some young talent at the back. Stones would add to that but his fit with the Catalans may be tricky.