Could Vincent Kompany be the driving force? FC Bayern Munich are reportedly weighing up a shock, free transfer

The 31-year-old centre-back's contract expires at the end of June and will not be renewed, so his departure from the Sky Blues is already a done deal—meaning Stones would be available on a free transfer. As the Daily Mail calls it, this "shock transfer" could see Bayern manager Vincent Kompany, who played alongside Stones at City, play a key role. Moreover, Stones' long-time England captain and teammate Harry Kane already wears the Munich shirt.

Rumours first surfaced in February that the German record champions had already made contact with Stones.

Stones, with 87 England caps, was a key figure in City's successful era, winning the Premier League six times, the FA Cup twice and the Champions League in 2023 between 2016 and 2026. In 2025/26, however, injuries limited him to only 17 appearances under Pep Guardiola. 

A place in central defence at Bayern Munich would also be highly unlikely. With Dayot Upamecano, whose contract was recently extended until 2030, and Jonathan Tah, the record champions already have a well-established first-choice pairing. Behind them, however, the squad depth is somewhat thinner: Min-Jae Kim has long been regarded as a transfer target, but there have been no concrete developments. Hiroki Ito is frequently sidelined due to his susceptibility to injury and is therefore not a reliable option. He too is likely to leave Bayern again should a suitable offer come in. The central defence is complemented by the versatile Josip Stanisic, who, although capable of playing in the centre, established himself particularly as a right- and left-back last season.

Recent reports, including one from Sport1 on Tuesday evening, claim that Stones' teammate Josko Gvardiol wants to leave Man City this summer and is open to a move to FCB. According to the outlet, Gvardiol is a "big fan" of the German record champions and has been on their radar for some time. Unlike a move for Stones, signing Gvardiol would be extremely costly. However, Gvardiol can also operate as a left-back. With Alphonso Davies still struggling for form and fitness after a serious cruciate ligament injury followed by a series of muscle problems, that position at Bayern is no longer set in stone either.