John Stones has chosen his next club as Aston Villa and Leeds join the race

Aston Villa and Leeds United are keen to sign John Stones, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester City.

Stones has won everything during his ten-year stay at the Etihad Stadium, but Man City chose not to renew his contract, as he has suffered from injuries in the past two seasons.

The England international managed to start five Premier League games during his last campaign at City, which shows it was the right call to let him go, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have plenty to do elsewhere.

Despite playing a limited role in Pep Guardiola’s side, the defender was named in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, where he went on to play five games, suggesting he may have put his injury problems in the rear view mirror.

John Stones World Cup match

• 330 minutes played

• 96.8% pass rate

• 70% of air duels won

• 20 permission

• 2 attack

Described as “impressive” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, and made 257 appearances in the top flight, the 32-year-old could be a smart signing for the Premier League club, and there is no shortage of interest.

Aston Villa are holding internal talks to sign John Stones

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Leeds, Arsenal, former employers Everton and Aston Villa are all interested in signing Stones this summer, with the latter club now holding internal talks over the finer details of a potential deal.

Unai Emery is looking to add experience to his squad, ahead of a return to the Champions League next season, and the City man fits the bill, having won the competition in 2022-23.

Inter Milan, Juventus and Bayern Munich are leading the way with interest from abroad, with the defender set to make a decision soon, after returning from a short post-World Cup holiday.

The England international, who has 94 caps, has the experience to make a real impact on any interested clubs, but it would not be surprising if his injury record over the past five seasons deters potential suitors.

Stones’ wage demands are also likely to be high, given that he earned £250,000-a-week during his time at Man City. For reference, Emiliano Martinez and Boubacar Kamara are the highest paid players at Villa, both players earning £150,000-a-week.

Aston Villa are also in “advanced talks” to sign a new left-back

Not only are Emery’s side looking to sign a new centre-back, but they are also keen to bring in a new left-back, following the departure of Lucas Digne, and are in “advanced talks” to sign AC Milan’s Pervis Estupinan.

Estupinan has already “agreed” to move to Villa Park, indicating that Aston Villa could do a deal soon, if they can’t agree a fee with Milan, who are said to want around £17m.