Why John Stones isn't going anywhere this summer

The 2013/14 season has only been over for just over a week but already the transfer rumour mill is in overdrive.

We are in that strange dead space between the end of the Premier League season and the start of the World Cup, meaning newspapers and websites are struggling to fill their back pages.

Therefore they have to get creative with their stories, with the one linking John Stones with a £12million move to Chelsea one of the more impressive efforts.

Stones has shot to prominence in recent months thanks to a string of impressive displays for Everton, culminating in a place on the stand-by list for England's World Cup squad.

Even if Stones does not make the final list there are reports Roy Hodgson wants him to travel to Brazil anyway for the experience, given how highly he is rated by the Three Lions' coaching staff.

In the weird and wonderful world of the tabloid press that means he also must be on his way out of Goodison Park for a "bigger" club.

With John Terry in the twilight of his career that "bigger" club has been unanimously decided by the press to be Chelsea.

Now I think it is wise to put in a disclaimer here: no-one can absolutely guarantee that Stones won't leave as every player has his price. But if he does, given he is a young, English defender on the brink of the national team and on a long contract, it will be for a ludicrously high fee and one that no club will realistically want to pay.

Not £12million.

The reason for this is because Everton are on far firmer financial ground than they have been in previous seasons. The new TV deal has seen the club earn in the region of £33million more than last year - in excess of £85million in total - meaning the sell-to-buy policy of recent years can be shelved for now.

Everton's performances have also shown they can be an attractive proposition to young players. Roberto Martinez is not afraid to give youth its chance in a team that play wonderful, stylish, attacking football.

Stones' progress this year is a lot down to that faith shown by Martinez and I would be very surprised if he chose to push for a move away at this stage of his career.

The club are now in a position to resist big money bids for established players while the current squad can also see evidence that the grass isn't always greener.

Therefore Evertonians can be confident that their star players will still be in place when the transfer window closes next September.