John Stones: Inter Milan sign former Manchester City defender on free transfer until 2028

Inter Milan have completed the signing of England defender John Stones on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Manchester City.

The 32-year-old centre-back has signed a deal keeping him at San Siro until the summer of 2028, the Italian club confirmed on Thursday evening.

Stones arrives in Milan after eight seasons at Manchester City, where he joined in the summer of 2016 and developed under manager Pep Guardiola into one of the leading modern defenders in world football, noted for his composure in possession, intelligence without the ball and ability to start attacks from the back.

During his time at Etihad Stadium, Stones made 295 competitive appearances for Manchester City and scored 19 goals. On the international stage, he has earned 94 caps for England, having made his senior debut for the Three Lions on 30 May 2014.

Stones: ‘I couldn’t imagine a better place’

Speaking to Inter Milan’s official channel after completing the move, Stones said he was eager to begin what he described as a new chapter in his career.

He said: “لدي الكثير من المشاعر. انا سعيد وفخور للغاية، ومتحمس لبدء هذا الفصل الجديد وهذه الرحلة الجديدة. لم اكن اتخيل مكانا افضل لخوضها”.

Stones added that he was looking forward to experiencing life in Italy and getting to know his new surroundings in Milan.

He continued: “سمعت الكثير عن ميلانو، لكنني لم اعش التجربة بنفسي بعد. هذا ما يثير حماسنا، اكتشاف المدينة والثقافة والناس. ومن الرايع ايضا ان لدي بالفعل بعض الاصدقاء هنا لمشاركة هذه التجربة معهم”.

Hunger for more trophies

Having won numerous trophies with Manchester City, Stones underlined that his ambition to add to his honours list was a key motivation behind his move to Serie A.

He said he wanted to bring his experience of winning major titles to Inter Milan while continuing to push his own level under the coaching staff at the club.

“وشدد “لدي رغبة هايلة في الفوز بالمزيد من الالقاب، كنت محظوظا بما يكفي للفوز بالعديد من الالقاب خلال مسيرتي، واريد الاستفادة من هذه الخبرة هنا لمساعدة الفريق والنادي. وفي الوقت نفسه، اريد مواصلة التعلم والتطور كلاعب كرة قدم، والعمل مع المدرب، وكذلك مع كولاروف، الذي كان زميلي في مانشستر سيتي”.

The move sees Stones reunite with former Manchester City team-mate Aleksandar Kolarov, who is now part of the Inter Milan set-up, as he begins a new phase of his career in Italian football.