Scouting Manchester City Transfer Target John Stones

The urgent need to improve Manchester City’s defence simply cannot be ignored by Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard won the 21st trophy of his managerial career on Saturday as Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund in a close DFB-Pokal final, leaving him free to concentrate on his new assignment at the Etihad Stadium.

He doesn’t officially take the reins until July 1—but given his apparent insatiable appetite for his work, he is likely to step up his planning and preparation immediately.

It will be abundantly clear to him having watched City this year that reinforcements at the back are badly needed. Their defence is creaking, damaged by injuries, ageing full-backs and inconsistent performers.

Bacary Sagna, a 33-year-old free transfer who barely featured the previous season, was perhaps their best defender in the campaign just passed.

Gael Clichy emerged as the star of the back four once his injury worries were behind him, but he, too, is in his 30s and has shown in previous seasons his form can waver badly.

But it’s at centre-back where City’s defensive vulnerability is most pronounced. Vincent Kompany’s susceptibility to calf injuries can no longer be ignored. Nor can the recklessness of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi. City want to dominate domestically and be categorised alongside Europe’s elite. Their current crop of centre-backs won’t allow that.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

That is why City are being heavily linked with new recruits. Aymeric Laporte remains a target, according to Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, despite being ruled out until August with with a broken leg and dislocated ankle.

Everton’s John Stones is also on Guardiola’s radar, reported John Cross in the Mirror. He is a somewhat complicated target at present, not least because of his likely cost as a young, highly regarded British centre-back. He also plays for a club with no financial need to sell. The odds are stacked against any of his suitors getting a good deal.

Then there are the concerns over his defensive capabilities. There can be no hiding place for Stones: He was directly responsible for a number of goals Everton conceded over the past few months. His positional sense and concentration are called into question too often. In the eyes of many Everton fans, Phil Jagielka was the more consistent at the heart of their defence over the past 12 months. Stones is a player who comes with risk.

There are times when he takes unnecessary risks, unwilling, it seems, to clear the ball in hurried fashion, even if it's the best course of action. He's been caught out a few times this season by holding onto the ball too long. What's more, he's too often wilted under pressure. When Everton are in a good moment and playing with confidence, he looks superb. It's when things have gone awry he has been found wanting.

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But at just 21, it’s clear he is a huge talent, one you'd assume Guardiola would relish working with. On the ball, there are few better. He loves being in possession, always prepared to take the ball off the goalkeeper and begin attacks from the back. It’s a rare, remarkable gift and suits Guardiola’s style of football.

He passes brilliantly, steps into midfield with purpose and invention and sets the tone for those around him. He is supremely confident, perhaps overconfident at times, but that's something Guardiola will feel he can harness. He also possesses plenty of pace. He makes slide-tackling look like an art form.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Like any young player, he will need time to develop and mature. Centre-back is a position that requires experience more than any other, with the average age of centre-backs playing regularly in the Premier League around 29. If Stones and Laporte were to arrive, coupled with Jason Denayer's return from his loan spell at Galatasaray, it would leave City with a relatively inexperienced set of options.

Much will depend on the price and, indeed, the competition for his signature—but it's obvious why Stones is being monitored by City. The makings of something special are there, and if he can make the necessary improvements to his game, he could end up being a top player.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and has followed the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard.