Report: Everton rejects 2nd offer from Chelsea for John Stones

Chelsea's latest bid for Everton defender John Stones has been rejected, as hopes of luring the talented player away from Goodison Park are surely beginning to fade.

The defending Premier League champion submitted an improved second bid worth £25 million only to see Everton reject the offer and re-establish its preference to retain the talented 21-year-old, according to Sky Sports.

The latest offer is a slight improvement on the £20-million bid Chelsea submitted earlier in July, which upset Everton manager Roberto Martinez because of the team's public approach.

Rumours of a second bid were turned down by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed that his squad is not searching for players and that suggesting his championship-winning side is complete.

Chelsea could have to submit a bid significantly higher in order to pry Stones away from the Merseyside team.

Even then, Everton's struggles last season don't offer it the luxury of being able to part with such a talented centre-back, whose loss would surely be a massive blow to the team's performances on the pitch and the mood in the stands.