WHEN HE APPEARED on Goals on Sunday last weekend, David Moyes made quite a splash by claiming Everton only paid £1.25 million when they signed John Stones from Barnsley in 2013.

The former Everton and Manchester United manager made the claim despite widespread reporting of the fee at the time being closer to £3m.

The 21-year-old was the final signing of Moyes’ 11 year reign at Goodison Park when he arrived in January 2013 with the Scot telling Goals on Sunday:

“I laugh when people say we paid £3million for John Stones, it was £1.25million.

I had a couple of scouts who said ‘you’ve got to watch this lad at Barnsley’ so I went there and he was someone we thought could be a right-back or a centre-back but had a natural ability to be comfortable on the ball. It was not coached or taught.

“He’s got a great mentality and great temperament.”

However, Barnsley hit back with a strongly worded statement today suggesting that, as Moyes had no part of the transfer negotiations, he couldn’t know the transfer fee.

“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.”

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