Chelsea Transfer News: John Stones Escape Route Planned, Latest Blues Rumours

Everton are reportedly set on offering Chelsea target John Stones a new contract, but the Englishman will only agree to it if the terms include an escape route out of Goodison Park.

Stones was intensely pursued by Chelsea in the recent transfer window and handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force a move to Stamford Bridge, per Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror.

Having kept the 21-year-old centre-back at the club, Everton are now reportedly eager to tie him to a new deal. But Stones will only accept new terms if a £38 million release clause—the value of Chelsea's most recent bid for him—is included, per Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail.

Were such a deal to be struck between Stones and Everton, Chelsea would effectively have the option to come back in for the former Barnsley man next summer and snap him up if they match their own £38 million bid.

Chelsea's interest in Stones is unlikely to be on the wane as he looks increasingly like the player they need as John Terry is finally on the decline after a long career, per Bleacher Report's Graham Ruthven:

Stones' current contract with the Toffees runs until 2019 and is worth around £30,000 a week. Although any new contract is likely to be worth double the money, Everton still cannot compete with Chelsea in terms of what they can offer Stones, per Mokbel.

The youngster looks destined for the exit door at Goodison, with the most likely departure date being next summer, even if he does sign a new contract.

Everton face Chelsea on Saturday at Goodison Park, and despite the constant links with the Blues, Toffees manager Roberto Martinez insists Stones is still raring to go, per the Times' Tony Barrett: "Nothing has changed. ohn has gone from strength to strength in a period of high pressure & has performed with incredible maturity."

This is good news for the Merseyside club, but the best Everton can realistically hope for is to get the most out of Stones during this season as they look to establish themselves again nearer the top of the Premier League table having finished 11th in 2014-15.

Chelsea themselves are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table, the defending champions having picked up just four points from their opening four matches of the new season.

The opening of the season could have been very different had Jose Mourinho brought in the players he wanted in the transfer window, with Juventus' Paul Pogba apparently another one that got away, along with Stones.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (h/t Sport Witness), Mourinho tried to push through a €120 million (£87.7 million) move for the Frenchman, but Juventus had already decided not to sell him until next summer—when he is keen on a move to Barcelona.

Mourinho is simply going to have to turn things around with the squad he already has, but thus far, they have looked a shadow of the title-winning group from last season.