Scouting Reported Chelsea Summer Transfer Target John Stones
Much like England's European Under-21 Championship campaign, John Stones' time in the Czech Republic was a disappointment this summer.
England crashed out in the group stage, losing to Italy 3-1 in their final game to seal their fate.
It was a match defined by calamity, with all three of Italy's goals hardly befitting the level of quality we should expect in matches at international level.
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Concussion meant the Everton defender made just one appearance for the Three Lions, and it came in that Italy defeat.
His inclusion was supposed to add solidity to the back four of Gareth Southgate's side, but it had the opposite effect; England crumbled in horrible fashion.
It was a disaster.
It's unfair to point the finger at Stones for what was a collectively dire performance from England. But with their worst display coming just as Stones returned to action, some are suggesting he should take some blame.
Regardless of what went down in Czech Republic, it shouldn't deter Chelsea from following up on their rumoured interest in the defender.
According to the Independent, Chelsea are tracking the 21-year-old after being rebuffed by Real Madrid in their pursuit of Raphael Varane earlier this summer.
John Terry has waded into the debate on Stones too.
"I have seen a lot of games and I am a big fan of his," the Chelsea captain recently told talkSPORT (per ESPN FC). "He pulls wide of the box and wants the ball and for a young defender to do that in the Premier League takes some guts."
That's what's most interesting about Stones when we consider his suitability to Chelsea and their future.
He isn't afraid of being in possession. If anything, he thrives on it. Such courage is what Jose Mourinho's team needs as it continues to develop.
Stones has plenty in his locker. Despite what we saw in that one outing against Italy for the England under-21s, he's a defender who reads the game well and gets the fundamentals right.
He can tackle, he's good enough in the air to play alongside a more dominant defender such as Gary Cahill or Kurt Zouma and has the athleticism to ensure Chelsea's defence isn't going to be one dimensional.
What Mourinho is attempting to discover for his defence now is a formula to make it strong for the next decade.
In the here and now, Terry and Cahill rule the roost.
The Chelsea captain is only on a one-year deal, though, and how many seasons he has remaining as the No. 1 defender at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen.
| Appearances | 23 |
| Pass completion | 90% |
| Tackles won | 68% |
| Headers won | 63% |
| Fouls committed | 16 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Defensive errors | 3 |
Terry was exceptional in 2014/15, yet his age—Terry will be 35 in December—continues to the catalyst for the debate on how much longer we can expect to see him in a Chelsea shirt.
That's when Chelsea's contingency plan will reveal itself as adequate or not. Mourinho is casting his net far and wide to ensure he doesn't the face the pitfalls Louis van Gaal has at Manchester United.
The plan is to steadily rebuild Chelsea's back line, not rush out and attempt it in one summer like we saw at Old Trafford last term.
Chelsea's strength is that defensive wall Mourinho prides himself on, and without that bedrock, success isn't going to be forthcoming.
Stones is a suitable candidate for contributing to that, yet his attributes also help feed into the style of football we saw in the first half of the previous campaign from Chelsea.
When the situation called for it, Mourinho shut up shop. Chelsea weren't going to throw the Premier League away last season, and they breezed their way to success on the back of a pragmatic policy.
Pre-Christmas, however, was there a more enthralling team to watch than Mourinho's Blues?
Defenders such as Stones allow for both. We've seen that he can mix it, but he is equally adept with the ball at his feet, looking for options and playing the game.
His distribution will help bring more out of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic, in turn influencing things further forward.
Stones has the potential to be the Ricardo Carvalho replacement Chelsea have never quite found.
"He is exceptional with both feet, he is a ball-playing centre half which you need to be these days," Terry continued.
"He is extremely confident. He looks to play from the back and that can only be good for English football that the likes of him are coming through. He is definitely one I have been impressed by."
Good for English football and good for Chelsea if they can get hold of him.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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