John Stones could leave Inter Milan in the January transfer window, just four months after joining the Italian champions on a free transfer from Manchester City. Reports in Italy say the England defender's contract could even be ended early if he cannot prove his fitness, in what has become a nightmare start to his time in Serie A.

Stones, 32, arrived in Milan in the summer after a decade at the Etihad Stadium, where he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League, making 295 appearances for City. He signed a two-year deal running to June 2028 and spoke of his pride at the move, but injury has kept him on the sidelines for most of his first months in Italy.

A bright start that quickly faded

There was early encouragement. Stones scored the winner on his first appearance, a 1-0 pre-season victory over Real Betis, earning a 7 out of 10 rating from Gazzetta dello Sport, which praised the timing and coordination of his debut goal. He then made his official Serie A debut off the bench in a 4-1 opening-round win over Monza.

Since then, however, he has played only three more times in all competitions, starting just once, including the Champions League defeat against Real Madrid. He has been sidelined with a thigh injury since mid-September after playing just 62 minutes in the 5-3 victory over Udinese, and he was an unused substitute in last weekend's 2-0 win over Como. That is one of just four appearances he has made in all competitions for Inter.

The pattern will be familiar to anyone who has followed Stones in recent years. Fitness problems have limited his playing time at City too, and he was not called into Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the November international break against Croatia and Spain, giving him time to work on his recovery while his team-mates are away.

Gazzetta: 'What has happened to Stones?'

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 32-year-old could leave in the January window or be left out of Inter's updated squad list if he cannot improve his availability, creating the possibility of his contract being ripped up. The Italian newspaper asked the pointed question: 'What has happened to Stones?'

The report notes that Stones is under scrutiny at the club and that his position could be at risk when the winter window opens. It points out that in the last five years he has never managed more than 25 appearances in a Premier League season, recording 14, 23, 16, 11 and just nine last season. For now, the report adds, he is stuck on three appearances in Serie A.

Stones had plenty of suitors when his City contract came to an end. Arsenal and Chelsea were among the clubs that showed interest without submitting an offer, while Juventus explored a move before Inter offered him the two-year deal. He joined Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones at the Nerazzurri, with Inter hoping his class and experience would strengthen their defence.

What happens next

For now, the defender has time to rebuild his fitness. Inter do not play again until they face Atalanta on 22 November, and there are nine games in total for the Italian club before the January transfer market opens. That run gives Stones a window to show head coach Cristian Chivu that he can be relied upon.

If he does leave, a return to the Premier League is the most likely outcome. Everton have long been linked with a move to re-sign the defender, a decade after he left Merseyside for City, although his injury record is likely to make any club wary of taking on his wages. Stones himself has remained upbeat, saying when he joined that he felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and pride at the opportunity, and describing himself as kind, happy and competitive.

Whether that optimism survives the winter will depend on his body. After ten years at the top in England, Stones moved to Italy for a fresh start. Four months in, that fresh start is already under serious threat.