Martinez says John Stones transfer saga is over

Stones is now the focus of attention of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who is willing to fork out as much as £30m for him, and if Holgate can reach that level himself in the future, Roberto Martinez will have pulled off a fine bit of business with regards to the long-term plans of the club.

Roberto Martinez insists Everton are not a selling club and won’t be pressured into selling John Stones.

Everton have completed the signing of teenage defender Mason Holgate from Barnsley for an undisclosed fee, understood to be an initial £1million. They have both come up the ranks playing at centre back but each got into the senior set-up at right-back and proved just as accomplished there.

However, the longer they hold out for a huge offer, the less time they will have to replace Stones should he make it evidently clear that he wishes to go.

£30m is a substantial amount to spend on any player, regardless of the premium rate on homegrown talent, but Stones has proven how capable a Premier League performer he already is, despite his youthfulness.

The Premier League now beckons for 18-year-old Holgate as he teams up with John Stones, a fellow former Reds’ Academy graduate, at Goodison Park.

Since Holgate made his League One debut last December, comparisons have been made with the England worldwide.

“Another club is making a statement in the press so openly and I don’t think that is the way we would do it at Everton”, Martinez said. “He is a young man with a very impressive future”, Martinez told the club’s official website. The youngster still has plenty of learning to do and will likely play a key role for David Unsworth’s under-21 squad.

“Mason is a completely different type of player to John but in terms of personality and character they are very similar”.

“I will never be upset about people asking about our players – I take it as a compliment and it shows what we are doing”.