Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on John Stones, Antonio Valencia Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly ready to battle with local rivals Manchester City in pursuit of Everton defender John Stones.

According to Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star, Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho and City manager Pep Guardiola are both fans of the centre-back, who is set to cost a whopping £50 million. It’s noted the new United chief tried to land Stones during his time at Chelsea last summer, although the Toffees rebuffed the Blues.

Cross added that City will ramp up their efforts to sign the 22-year-old, with Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte penning a new deal with the Basque outfit. Here’s the report in the paper, per BBC’s Nick Sutton:

The England international didn’t enjoy the best season at Everton, as the team toiled under maligned manager Roberto Martinez.

There were times in matches when Stones lost focus, making bad decisions in both his defensive duties and use of the ball. The balance he had between these two facets of his game was ideal during the previous two campaigns, but it was skewed in 2015-16, and the former Toffees boss left it unaddressed.

With Ronald Koeman now confirmed as the top man at Goodison Park, per BBC, you can bet Everton will do their utmost to keep the player. Football journalist Patrick Boyland is expecting the Merseyside club to be tough negotiators again:

However, for £50 million, a deal would surely be done. Stones would have a tricky decision to make if it ends up being a straight shootout between the two Manchester giants, though. 

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Guardiola’s style of football naturally seems more suited to the former Barnsley man’s qualities. In his system, Stones would see a lot of possession and would be encouraged to saunter into midfield in order to get the team moving forward. That’d surely be appealing to the player.

But so too would Mourinho’s longstanding interest. Additionally, the distribution side of the game is not a skill Stones needs to improve; he needs to refine his defensive positioning, awareness and decision-making, areas in which the Portuguese is so savvy. So while Guardiola would be a better immediate fit, if the Everton man wanted to become a complete defender, Mourinho may be an ideal mentor.

Antonio Valencia Linked to Galatasaray

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According to Turkish website Fanatik (h/t Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito), Manchester United have offered encouragement to Galatasaray as they pursue Antonio Valencia.

The Ecuador international has a solitary year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, and as noted in the piece, it’s uncertain whether or not he has a future at the club on Mourinho’s watch. Valencia has been a regular on the right flank since joining from Wigan Athletic in 2009.

It’s suggested that the United board want to make an exit simple for the 30-year-old, with the Turkish club offering him a three-year deal. As noted by Sport Witness’ Tom Coast, the Red Devils have better options in attacking positions now:

Mourinho’s predecessor, Louis van Gaal, was a fan of Valencia, often using him at right-back. While not his best position, there were times when the Ecuador man offered a major threat from deep; under Sir Alex Ferguson, his willingness to commit defenders and get crosses into the box was a hallmark of the enterprising football the team played.

But injury problems have robbed Valencia of his raw dynamism in recent seasons, and it’s an area of the field the new manager will surely seek to improve. With two league titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup won during his time at Old Trafford, plenty tied to the team will wish him well in his next challenge.