Barnsley: David Moyes got it wrong over Stones fee, say Oakwell club

Moyes was manager of the Goodison Park outfit when the talented Reds defender moved to Merseyside at the end of the January transfer window in 2013 for an undisclosed seven-figure fee.

National newspaper reports have suggested that the deal was worth £1.25m, something which Barnsley say is wholly wrong - prompting them to issue a clarification statement, having also been made aware of recent comments on television regarding the fee by Moyes.

The Yorkshire Post, however, reported the deal as being worth £3m to the Oakwell club.

A club statement said: “Barnsley FC has been asked by a significant number of fans to clarify the situation regarding the recent comments made by David Moyes on Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday and attributed to him on the Mirror website on 14 February 2016 and elsewhere, regarding the fee paid by Everton for the transfer of John Stones from our club.

“Ordinarily, we would not comment on matters of speculation, but the article on the Mirror website carries the headline, ‘David Moyes reveals Everton paid just £1.25million to sign John Stones from Barnsley.’

“The amount paid by Everton to Barnsley is commercial in confidence, and we would have expected that David Moyes would be bound by that obligation of confidentiality to his former employer.

“However, given the categoric nature of the assertion made, it is incumbent on Barnsley FC to correct such a statement when it is markedly and unequivocally wrong and yet is made by someone that the public might think is authoritative on the subject.

“This is particularly the case since he has cited the same erroneous fee on previous occasions also. David Moyes played no part in any negotiation with Barnsley FC concerning the transfer of John Stones, which may explain why he is mistaken as to the fee paid.”