Barnsley hit back at David Moyes over John Stones transfer fee

John Stones sticks his thumbs up during the game between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur on January 3, 2016
© Getty Images
Barnsley hit out at David Moyes for claiming that John Stones cost Everton £1.25m in January 2013.

Barnsley have issued a statement criticising David Moyes for claiming that Everton paid just £1.25m for defender John Stones.

The England international joined the Merseyside outfit from Oakwell in January 2013, and at the time it was reported that a £3m figure was agreed.

However, during an appearance on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday Moyes revealed that that the fee was significantly lower.

In response, Barnsley issued a statement, which read: "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."

Moyes left Everton in 2013 to take on the manager's job at Manchester United, where he lasted less than 10 months.

John Stones applauds after Everton's League Cup semi-final first leg with Manchester City on January 6, 2016
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