Man City target Germany international as John Stones successor but Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton circle

Man City have a couple of their key players who could be leaving at the end of the season, and one of them hasn’t been talked about a whole lot. Bernardo Silva’s contract is due to expire, so Pep Guardiola may be losing his long-term club captain.

However, centre-back John Stones is also due to leave, as his contract at City is set to expire in June after a spell of 10 years at the club, which has seen him win six Premier League titles and make over 290 appearances for the Cityzens.

If Stones does leave, and City opt against extending his contract, Guardiola will need to replace the 31-year-old, and fresh reports are linking City to a young German star.

Man City target Frankfurt gem Collins

Stones has always been a reliable centre-back option, who is very good on the ball. He has been known to play as a defensive midfielder at times because of his passing and ball control, so it won’t be easy for Man City to find a worthy replacement.

But, according to TeamTalk, they have. 22-year-old German international Nnamdi Collins is reportedly on Man City’s radar, as they have already heavily scouted him, alongside several other Premier League teams, including Liverpool, Newcastle and Brighton.

Collins can play as a centre-back or a right-back, which shows that he has the ball control and passing ability to match Stones’. The 22-year-old already has one appearance for Germany, and is becoming a key player at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.

This season, Collins has made 26 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He joined Frankfurt in 2023 after coming through the academy at Borussia Dortmund, and is now one of the most exciting defenders in the Bundesliga.

Could Man City extend John Stones’ contract?

Seeing as there has been a lack of news about Stones’ contract situation, it looks more and more likely that the 31-year-old will leave Man City at the end of the season. It would be a loss for City, as Stones remains an important player, despite dealing with injuries this season.

He has made 14 appearances for Guardiola’s side this season, but now that City have Marc Guehi, alongside the likes of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, Stones’ role in the side is reducing year by year.

According to Football Insider, Stones’ summer exit looks more and more likely, and so his former club Everton are reportedly monitoring his situation, as they would like to sign him back as a free agent, which would be a brilliant piece of business, considering they sold him to Man City in 2016 for a fee of £48.5m.

It is understood that Vincent Kompany would like to reunite with Stones too, as Bayern Munich are also interested in signing Stones.

For your next Man City read: Man City could hijack £52m Liverpool move for Serie A star as Real Madrid also circle.