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What's the story?
John Stones has claimed that he is ready to compete for a spot in Manchester City's starting lineup next season and fill the hole left by Vincent Kompany. He further admitted that although the former skipper is dearly missed by everyone at the club, it's a big challenge for the players to step up and instill responsibility.
In case you missed it...
After 11 successful seasons for Manchester City, Kompany announced his departure from the club after attaining a domestic treble. Overall, Kompany won four League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups during his tenure at the blue half of Manchester.
Since the Belgian's departure, the Cityzens have monitored several center backs to replace their captain. Among all the mentioned names, Harry Maguire emerged as Man City's prime defensive target this summer.
However, with cross-city rivals Manchester United in the running and the reigning English champions' reluctance to match Leicester City's exorbitant asking price, the deal looks unlikely.
Recently, Pep Guardiola has also admitted that the club is searching for new center backs in this transfer window. The Spaniard pronounced:
“We will see. We are looking for some names but at the same time we have three centre-backs who can play there and we have two young players in the second team who can help us."
“We shall see if the market is possible and the club believes we can spend that money, but if they don’t, we shan’t spend it.”
The heart of the matter
Amid a paucity of central defenders in Manchester City's squad, John Stones is ready to assert his status as a regular starter next season and help his side cope with Kompany's absence, remarking:
"There's some big shoes to fill - Vinnie (Kompany) set a benchmark at the club which I don't think can be done again. He's such a good person and for anyone who becomes captain, if they do half the job he did then they will be able to call themselves successful."
He further continued:
"He was such a key player for us, and will be missed by everyone, especially me personally. But it's a great challenge for me and us all to step up and grab the bull by the horns and run with it now."
What's next?
Manchester City face Kitchee in a friendly clash on July 24.
