Neville Southall has implored Everton not to get rid of John Stones.
The promising 21-year-old defender continues to be linked with a big-money summer move to Premier League champions Chelsea but Toffees legend Southall believes it will show a massive weakness in the Merseyside club if they cave in and sell.
Writing in his column for bookmakers Paddy Power, Southall said: "Everton should never sell John Stones. At any price. I've been out a lot with a lot of disgruntled fans and if the club says they're selling him to Chelsea, then they're effectively saying 'we don't listen to you and we don't care about you.
"The message it gives to the fans is 'sorry we're not building a team for the future, we're just sell our best players as soon as we get a good offer.'
"Who do we replace him with? There's no one as good as him, at his age, who's going to be an England regular and who's going to get better and better. Common sense says we don't sell him.
"Money can't buy what this club needs. This club needs to show ambition and that it's not a selling club. If they keep selling players it shows that we're happy to be constantly mid-table with no aspirations for anything more.
"Even with the money, who can replace Stones? Johnny Evans is being talked about, but he's not as good as John Stones. Why would you settle for second best?
"If they sell him it sends out the wrong signals. It would have an effect on the team. How can they attract top quality players if they keep selling their best players. Life will go on like it did after Rooney left, but £50 million is nothing to have compared to what you'll lose."