"Massive, massive profit" - Barnsley FC, John Stones transfer regret voiced | OneFootball

FLW's Barnsley fan pundit has identified which player they sold far too soon

Barnsley are aiming to gain promotion back to the Championship at the third time of asking.

The Tykes have narrowly missed out on a return to the second tier in each of the last two campaigns, having been relegated in 2022.

The Yorkshire outfit will be aiming to be in the mix for a top six position, but will face stiff competition this year.

Supporters will be relatively pleased with the team’s start to the term, and will be hoping they can maintain this level of form.

Some fans will be wishing they could have held onto some of their best former players instead of cashing in so early, as that would surely give them the edge in the battle for a place in the Championship.

John Stones Barnsley claim

When asked which former player they told too quickly, FLW’s Barnsley fan pundit Andy Symcox named John Stone.

He believes that the defender could have been sold for a lot more had they waited another while before granting his move to the Premier League.

“Without a doubt, the player that Barnsley sold way too early was John Stones,” Symcox told Football League World.

“He made his debut for Barnsley as a 17-year-old in 2012, but was sold the following season after making 28 appearances for the Reds to Everton for around £3 million.

“Fast forward three years and he was sold to Manchester City by Everton for nearly £48 million, a massive, massive profit, although Barnsley did have a sell-on clause.

“My personal view is that if John had stayed longer we ultimately would have received much, much more money for him.”

John Stones’ Barnsley stint

Stones made his breakthrough into the Barnsley first-team squad during the 2011-12 Championship campaign, in which the team came 21st in the table.

He made just two appearances in the league, before going on to establish himself as a regular presence in the senior squad in the following campaign.

The centre-back featured 22 times as the team once again narrowly avoided relegation with another 21st-place finish.

He has since gone on to become a regular starter for Manchester City, where he has won multiple Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cups, as well as the Champions League.

Stones proved a bargain signing for Everton

Stones ended up being a bargain signing for Everton when you consider the amount they paid for him and the fee received from Man City to sell him.

He grew into a Premier League calibre player at Goodison Park, but all the tools were there to do so after breaking through at Barnsley.

The Tykes haven’t had someone of his quality come through the academy system since, so cashing in on him so soon might have proven a mistake.

If they had waited another campaign, then perhaps he could’ve been worth as much as £8-10 million by then.