Everton captain Phil Jagielka has branded Chelsea's pursuit of John Stones a "circus".

Jagielka won't get into whether he thinks Stones should stay.

But he says: “The football should take priority. We should get rid of the circus and make sure all business is done before the start of the season so that all the entertainment comes from the football.

"But unfortunately the way the window works means we will have played four games by the time it closes. I can't get my head around why it works like it does.

"For me, the window should shut in the first week of August. Everyone has their squad and if there are any problems then you have to deal with it after Christmas. It isn't good to have transfer sagas when lads are having to play games.

"It leads to uncertainty and that isn't fair on players. It unsettles people."