John Stones quits Manchester City

John Stones will leave Manchester City this summer, ending a 10-year stay at the club when his contract expires. (mancity.com) Manchester City announced the decision on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and said the club will give Stones a formal farewell before the season ends. (mancity.com) Stones is 31 and has made 293 appearances for City since arriving from Everton in August 2016 for £47.5 million, becoming Pep Guardiola’s second signing at the club. (mancity.com) (skysports.com) City say he has won 19 major trophies there, including six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League, two FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, a FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup. (mancity.com) The departure removes the last remaining player from Guardiola’s first Manchester City squad, according to the Premier League’s daily briefing on Tuesday. (premierleague.com) Stones became one of Guardiola’s defining defenders because he could play as a center back and step into midfield, a role City used prominently during the 2022-23 treble season. (mancity.com) (premierleague.com) The Premier League highlighted his goal-line clearance against Liverpool in January 2019, when technology showed the ball was millimeters from crossing, in a match City won 2-1 before taking the title by one point. (premierleague.com) His final season has been disrupted by injuries, with Sky Sports reporting he made only four Premier League starts before confirming he would leave as a free agent. (skysports.com) In a farewell message posted on Instagram and quoted by Sky Sports, Stones said City had been his home for 10 years and that he had “lived all his dreams” there. (skysports.com) His exit closes one of the longest-serving careers of the Guardiola era at City, with the club now preparing a tribute instead of another contract extension. (mancity.com)