Stones has to leave the Blues now, insists Rio
RIO Ferdinand has urged John Stones to leave City to resurrect his career.
The centre-back has only started twice for Pep Guardiola since the season restarted in June.
Eric Garcia and Aymeric Laporte have often been Guardiola’s preferred pairing, with Fernandinho and Nicolas Otmanedi also ahead of him in the pecking order.
Whilst Garcia is set to leave the club after rejecting a new contract, Nathan Ake’s arrival from Bournemouth for £41m could leave Stones as City’s sixthchoice defender.
M.E.N. Sport understands Kalidou Koulibaly is now their prime target this summer, potentially pushing Stones further down the ranks.
With England boss Gareth Southgate constantly reiterating his belief that players must be playing regularly for their clubs, Ferdinand says Stones must leave the Blues this summer if he’s to reignite his England career.
“If I’m him, I am thinking ‘wow’,” Ferdinand said. “You’ve got (Nicolas) Otamendi coming in front of him and even (Eric) Garcia, who is not committed to the club.
“Stones has gone from being England first-choice centre-half to wondering whether he is even going to get in the squad now because he is not playing for his club.
“He really has to look at himself and his situation closely. With the Euros coming up next year, he has to make a big decision.
“In fact, I don’t even think it’s a big decision to leave - it’s just the right decision. If he wants to be a top centre-half and play for England again, he can’t stay at City.”
When asked where Stones should move this summer, with West Ham linked, Ferdinand said: “Where’s he going to go get a game? That’s what he needs to think about. He needs to play football.”