5 reasons why John Stones signing was essential to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City ‘project’

2. The Boateng, Pique example

Long heralded as average defenders, Guardiola has shaped careers of young centre backs like Gerard Pique and Jerome Boateng to be amongst the very best in the world. By age of 24, both Pique and Boateng were considered the best centre backs in the game.

John Stones career path is expected to follow that route. Guardiola had shifted Mascherano to a similar role too at Barcelona – a role which the Argentinian still plays more often, five years down, than not.