Inter Milan agree two-year deal to sign England defender John Stones

England defender John Stones has reached an agreement to join Inter Milan on a two-year deal following the expiration of his Manchester City contract.

The 32-year-old centre-back is available as a free agent after ending a trophy-laden decade at Etihad Stadium.

Advanced talks with the Serie A giants indicate a move to the San Siro is expected to be finalised by the end of the week.

His imminent switch to Italy deals a significant transfer blow to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

London clubs miss out

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had been monitoring the market for defensive reinforcements following a concerning back injury to William Saliba.

The Gunners secured the Premier League title last season but were defeated on penalties by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final.

Chelsea also held a strong interest in acquiring the experienced international to bolster their backline.

New Blues manager Xabi Alonso had placed the defender on a shortlist of targets as he begins restructuring his squad at Stamford Bridge.

Glittering decade comes to an end

The commanding centre-half leaves English football having enjoyed remarkable domestic and European success under Pep Guardiola.

During his 10-year spell in Manchester, he accumulated six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League winners’ medal.

However, his final campaign in the north-west was severely disrupted by fitness issues, restricting him to just 15 appearances across all competitions.

Despite those injury struggles, his impressive performances during the Three Lions’ run to the World Cup semi-finals reaffirmed his enduring quality at the highest level.