• Chelsea linked with fresh bid for defender in winter transfer window • Martínez: ‘It doesn’t matter … We’ll never lose anyone in January’

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Roberto Martínez has again insisted that Everton’s John Stones will not be leaving the club in January.

The highly-rated centre back was the subject of sustained interest from Chelsea in the summer, but Everton held firm despite several big money bids and a transfer request from the player.

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action Read more

Chelsea’s slump since then has fuelled further speculation over Stones, but Martínez says the club’s stance has not changed. “It doesn’t matter if Chelsea come back in for him. We created a squad to see how far we could go over 10 months. January doesn’t come into consideration.

“We’ll never lose anyone in January – unless it’s somebody who hasn’t been playing and we need to find a solution. If he’s a top performer, it’s not even a consideration.”

Chelsea’s defeat at Leicester on Monday night was their ninth in 16 matches as their poor start continued, and Stones has been tipped as a possible solution for José Mourinho’s defensive problems.

“When you are right in the middle of a season, I think players understand that you can’t sell someone if you can’t replace him,” Martínez added.

“I think the uncertainty comes in the summer, where everyone speaks about possibilities. January is a window to solve problems with players who are not featuring as often as they feel they should, or to bring in players from a lower league to give them an opportunity.”