Roberto Martinez confirms Everton defender John Stones will not leave the club in January

Chelsea and Manchester United target John Stones is going nowhere in the January transfer window, his manager Roberto Martinez confirmed. The Everton defender was in the middle of a major transfer saga in the summer but the former Wigan manager stood still and refused to let the player leave and expects to keep him at the Goodison Park for at least till the end of the season.

Chelsea had more than one bid rejected for the player while the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona are also believed to have shown an interest in signing the player. Stones has already been inducted into the England first team and is likely to play a crucial part in the upcoming European Championships to be held in France next year.

Martinez has therefore closed the door on any such transfer interest for the player in January, stating that he will not listen to any offers midway through the season. The manager also gave his assessment of the January transfer window, stating that it is a period in which players who feel they are underutilised move to a different club to gain more game time.

"It's very different (in January). When you are right in the middle of the season I think players understand you can't sell someone if you can't replace him," Martinez said, as quoted by Sky Sports. "The uncertainty comes in the summer where everyone speaks about possibilities. That's where there is constant talk and debate.

"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.

"We created a squad to see how far we could go over 10 months. January doesn't even come into consideration. We'll never lose anyone in January unless it is somebody who hasn't been playing and we need to find a solution. If he is a top performer, it's not even a consideration."