Everton FC had reportedly given fellow Premier League side Manchester City an "ultimatum" to sign young center back John Stones this summer for no less than £50 million.
Caught Offside reported that the Toffees have notified City that "they will have to pay £50m to sign John Stones if they wish to sign the defender this summer" as the negotiations between the two squads for the 22-year-old England international have gone full throttle.
City manager Pep Guardiola had already signed midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund (£20 million), forward Nolito from Celta de Vigo (£13.8 million), winger Leroy Sané from Schalke 04 (£37 million-£46.5 million), and striker Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras (£27million) this summer and so another expensive signing may have placed hesitation in the hearts of the bosses at the Etihad.
However, the 45-year-old Spanish mentor, who had led championship teams FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the past, is said to be keen on snagging Stones out of the Goodison Park this summer to add to his defensive options next season.
It means that Guardiola will have to convince the financiers at the Etihad to pay the £50 million fee that Everton demands to reach his goals as the Merseyside residents have informed them that "there is no negotiation and that is ultimately the valuation that they have to meet".
With that predicament, it remains to be seen whether the Citizens will pull off the deal or just look elsewhere with the summer transfer window winding down to its final few weeks.
Meanwhile, SkySports noted that the Toffees are preparing for Stones departure by targeting Swansea City center back Ashley Williams. Everton has already submitted an initial bid of £15 million for the Swans' team captain, but the Welsh side is said to be insistent that he is not for sale.
Stones had just finished his third season for Everton last term. He had appeared in a total of 95 games in all competitions and had scored once for the Toffees during the said time span.
The 6-foot-2 Barnsley, England native was acquired by Everton in January 2013 for a transfer fee of £3 million from his hometown team Barnsley FC. He had developed into one of the most-wanted young defenders during his three-season stay at the Goodison Park as his value had increased almost 20 times since then.