john stones has confirmed he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, closing a 10-year spell that brought major trophies, defining moments and a deep bond with the club. The England defender said he has “lived all my dreams out” at City, where his contract runs out this summer. His exit comes after a final season shaped by injuries and limited league starts.
End of an era at the Etihad
Stones joined City from Everton for £47. 5m in 2016 and made 293 appearances for the club. In that time, he helped City win six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, the Club World Cup and the Uefa Super Cup. He was also part of the treble-winning side in 2022-23, a season that ended with City lifting the Champions League.
The 31-year-old said in an emotional social media post that City has been his “home for the past 10 years” and will remain his home “for the rest of my life. ” He described the journey as “a rollercoaster, ” saying he arrived as a kid and is leaving as a man, a father, a husband and a fulfilled player. That message underlined the scale of the moment for a player who has become one of the club’s most recognisable figures.
john stones was Pep Guardiola’s second signing at City and, at the time, the world’s second most expensive defender. Guardiola has repeatedly valued his influence, and Stones said he could not imagine the club’s success without the manager. That relationship has been central to his rise, from an early period marked by errors to a long spell as a key part of City’s title-winning core.
Injuries shape the final chapter
The final season of john stones at Manchester City has been heavily affected by injuries, with just four Premier League starts. Even so, he returned to the starting line-up for City’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Southampton, where Guardiola praised his impact on and off the pitch.
Guardiola said Stones had finally enjoyed a few weeks without injury and called him “adorable and a top player. ” Bernardo Silva also described Stones as a “special player, ” saying it is “not a coincidence” that the team plays better when he is fit. Those remarks reflect the standing Stones still holds inside the dressing room, even as his exit moves closer.
Reactions and what comes next
Stones said hearing supporters sing his name showed there is a “mutual love” between him and the fans. That connection matters because his career at City was not defined only by medals, but by moments that supporters remember: his goalline clearance against Liverpool in the 2018-19 title race, and his crucial equaliser against Arsenal in 2024.
His departure comes amid another summer of change at City, with Kevin de Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Ederson already gone and Bernardo Silva set to leave when his contract expires in June. For now, the club’s next step is clear: say goodbye to a defender who helped shape an era. And for john stones, the closing chapter will be written as Manchester City prepares for life after another long-serving champion.
