09 May 2014 16:03:13
A newspaper is reporting that Mourinho is going to offer Lukaku as part of a swap deal for either Ross or Stones.

As everyone seems to have been saying lately, I would love Lukaku, but I'd rather have Bony, and I'd definitely not let either Ross or Stones go in order to bring him in.

1.) 09 May 2014
If Chelsea wanted Stones and we get Rom then i'd have to say its good business. i'd like to hope we see Ross for another couple of seasons at least. He's destined for more than just a bench warmer at chelsea or city.

2.) 09 May 2014
09 May 2014 20:08:33
No offence mate, but that is ridiculous, stones will be one of the best centre backs england has ever had, rom in a swap would be awful business, get bony and traore, buy another player or swap our best talent for a headless chicken with nothing else possible with other moves, how is that good business? Stones over lukaku anyday

3.) 09 May 2014
Agreed Stones is a great prospect in terms of young ENGLISH talent but there is plenty equal to him across the globe. Ross could become special so worth keeping to see if his true potential is reached. Swap deals never happen so don't believe this rumour but I would take it should it be offered

4.) 09 May 2014
Disagree Stones is going to be one of the best footballing defenders around. Lukaku see Bony.

5.) 09 May 2014
09 May 2014 20:29:20
Svenny if you can name me another player as complete a centre back as stones I will give you a tenner (not literally but you know), good defenders who are great ball playing centre backs, NO ONE is like him, zouma is too daft, rash and not a good footballer, marquinhos is too weak, umtiti is too overreliant on pace, bartra can't defend and nastasic is too injury prone and easily beaten in the air, the only one like him is varane and even he slides in too much, stones is a unique talent, romelu is everywhere, benteke, batshuyai, damiao and bony are all the same as lukaku, except they have a first touch and are actually good in the air, stones is a great character too, rom has an attitude, another fault, stones over him anyday

{Ed025's Note - bit harsh on rom there swan, he done a fine job for us this season, considering he is still on a learning curve and new to the side, we could not have expected much more, but i agree that stones has all the makings of a future england captain..

6.) 09 May 2014
09 May 2014 21:06:06
Im grateful for what he's done ed and I know he is only 20 but I would hope for an improvement on his season at west brom and he hasnt, I know he got injured but last srason he missed a good few games alltogether aswell, last season he was ripping peopke with his raw physical abikity, this season he's been inconsitent in theuseage of the tools he has available and its obvious he just cannot be bothered, I don't mean his work rate but his commitment hasn't always been there, he can bully anyone on his day but he doesn't do it often enough, he thinks the odd punch to the putch or badge grab makes him 'get everton' when it doesnt, I don't want players who are not commited to the cause, he plays like someone who has nothing to prove when in fact, he has EVERYTHING to prove

{Ed025's Note - as i say mate...i think your a bit harsh on him..

7.) 10 May 2014
To an extent Swan I agree with you. However proof will be in how the football world view him. Personally I think a few of the players you listed (Zouma has already been bought for a substantial fee) will be the subject of big money bids from CL teams I don't think Stones will be.
He has potential but is not as good at defending as is being made out. Just like Jagielka is not as bad a footballer as you often state he is.
For me Ross is potentially a one off special talent, the type of player that comes along once in a generation on a global level (not close to that yet but the potential is there) Stones is a classy centre back in the making no more no less

8.) 10 May 2014
10 May 2014 12:15:17
Zouma has already been yes, nastasic too, varane will be, stones has already been linked with chelsea, man city and arsenal, all champo league teams, stones had carrol, rooney and the whole stoke attack in his pocket, not too bad a defender aged 19 and will only get better, ross, well, everyone said the same about wilshere and jenas when they were younger (both are crap now), we've seen his type before, stones, however is as rare as they come

9.) 10 May 2014
Did you just compare Ross Barkley to Jermaine Jenas? Deary me can't argue with that.
Linked and bids are very different. I don't expect a bid from an elite side for Stones

10.) 10 May 2014
10 May 2014 13:11:51
I do, I didn't compare barkley to jenas I said jenas was a 'special' talent and then it all went tits up, the next gazza he was going to be, same as barkley, barkley isn't so much as one of a kind plus no one has put a bid in for barkley either so, you know

11.) 10 May 2014
Please name in the post war era a player that has played for Everton who scored the quality of goals in their first season that Ross did. The Newcastle run, the Swansea free kick, the Norwich left foot, the Man City curler, I can think of one or two but not many. Now in the post war era name the number of quality centre backs we have had, the list is far longer.
I agree Ross is not what he could be yet but I would keep him because if, and it is a if, if he reaches his potential he will be a truly rare talent the likes of which you see once every 10 years or so. Defending is not easy, it takes a certain type of player to be a brave centre back both physically and on the ball and Stones seems to have that. However a player who has that extra bit of skill and raw talent is an even harder breed to come across. That's why the cost the big bucks. The reality is if they played one on one Stones would take a hiding. Not a great arguement I know but I can't explain it any other way. It is more common for a player to have the ability to stop a man going passed him than it is a guy who can go past men

12.) 10 May 2014
10 May 2014 15:02:03
So were basing just off everton for ross but worldwide for stones? that's fair, yes we have always had good centre backs, bracewell, the rat, labone, jagielka, distin, stubbs and lescott etc, not one of them could play the ball out the back like stones can, in fact, no centre backs in the prem at the moment play it out like stones can bar maybe (and I say maybe) kompany and vertonghen (who gets caught out a lot), fabien delph has had barkley quiet both times this season, as did a lot of midfielders, yes he scored good goals, so did david bentley, well done, I watch youth football from real madrid under 18s all the way to charlton under 18s and I see players gliding past players all the time, every club has one that can do it, do they have centre backs that are not only solid defenders but fantastic footballers? None, even in the school team we had about 10 lads that could get past people easily, did we have good defenders? No, its easier being a player who just skips past people than it is a defender who needs strength, good reading of the game, good interceptions, perfectly timed tackles and good aerial ability, as pep guardiola said, barca have tons of young lads that go past people and they don't get touted for anything special

13.) 10 May 2014
I don't think Stones is that "solid" at the back he still has a long way to go in terms of positional sense a knowing when to commit and when to drop off.
Look it's a pointless arguement you clearly feel the Bobby Moores and Franz Beckanbauers are rarer and more important to a team than a Messi or Maradonna. For me I would always take the attacking superstar as it's my belief the hardest part of football is scoring goals. You clearly feel that not conceding is a harder skill so we will just go round in circles. I respect quality defenders in fact Walther Matthaius was the first non Everton player I really rated (I'm 30 the Italia 90 World Cup was my first World Cup memory) however I would take a genuine one off attacking player every time. Please note that Barkley is not that yet I just think he could be.

14.) 10 May 2014
10 May 2014 16:37:47
Yes and stones will learn with age, that's all he needs and his positional sense is quite decent for a 19 year old whereas barkley has to improve when to release the ball, his range of passing, final ball, finishing. Barkley MIGHT, stones WILL be a superstar and barkley is no messi or maradonna and never will be, stones could well be the next beckenbauer, no guarantees but stones is level headed and the ability is there to see, barkley has a lot to learn abd when you look at draxler, gotze, thiago and kroos, barkley is nowhere near as good, yet take the best young centre backs in the world and stones is right up there, we will have to agree to disagree

15.) 10 May 2014
Last word Swan. Isn't it great we are even in a position as Evertonians to be having this debate about two under 21 English players. Arguing about there already great performances and potential world class abilities.

16.) 10 May 2014
10 May 2014 21:00:37
Hear hear

17.) 10 May 2014
Started to read this then you lost me a filed under "dribble" when I read that Bracewell was a centre back.to use kids talk. OMG.

Bracewell probably the best centre midfielder to play in a blue shirt alongside Peter Reid

18.) 11 May 2014
11 May 2014 04:45:03
Did I really say bracewell in that list? Jesus christ, I am off the stella I swear, my drink was spiked!