Everton to delay contract talks with John Stones amid continued interest from Chelsea

Everton will wait before opening contract talks with John Stones amid interest from Chelsea

EVERTON will wait before opening contract talks with John Stones after the defender was told to instead focus on recapturing his best form.

 

Stones saw numerous bids from Chelsea rejected for him in the summer, with a final offer of £37m coming after he had submitted a transfer request to try and force a move to Stamford Bridge.

The England youngster has three-and-a-half years remaining on a £30,000-a-week deal which does not reflect his status if Everton believe his market value is more than £40m.

 

Yet manager Roberto Martinez claims Stones will be best served concentrating on his performances after he returned from a knee injury in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last weekend.

"Again, it's not a time to talk about any individuals," said Martinez. "It's a good, stable position and I don't want to touch that.

"The focus now is just on performing, playing in games; it's not a moment to look into individual situations."

If talks do commence in the coming months, it is unlikely that Everton will agree to a buy-out clause being inserted in any new deal which could complicate discussions.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez insists Stones should concentrate on his form

In the meantime, Martinez is anxious for Stones - and Everton - to catch the eye at Arsenal tomorrow.

"The focus for him is just to get back from injuries," said the Everton manager. "He's got an incredible appetite and desire to get back to the levels he showed at the beginning of the season and at the moment the contract situation is something that we do very well here behind the scenes.

"We keep a track on everything, and the focus for the players is to be ready to perform at the weekend."