But the Reds boss insists that Barnsley will not pay more than they believe players are worth. He told the Chronicle: "Clubs might want more money from us now they know we have got money from the Stones deal.
"But we won't let that change our thoughts. If a player is worth X amount, he is worth X amount. We won't be held to ransom."
Stones became the most expensive English footballer in history on Tuesday when Manchester City paid £47.5million for him from Everton. The 22-year-old from Thurlstone – who spent a decade in the Oakwell academy before making 28 first team appearances – joined the Toffees for £3million in 2013, and the Reds inserted a sell-on clause.
Barnsley are understood to be set for more than £6million, which exceeds their annual turnover. Owner Patrick Cryne has previously said that the money will be put back into the club, which is one of the least wealthy in the Championship, rather than spent immediately on players.
Heckingbottom said: "Everyone has been talking about it for a long, long time. "Mr Cryne has said the money will go back into the football club and it will be used wisely to help the cashflow of the club for the next few years. "It's going not to be 'right, there's X amount of pounds, go and spend it.'
"It will be used for long-term planning and help us in the future. It's really beneficial to us. We have to make the most of it because it's never going to happen again, a defender from the academy going for that amount of money."
Heckingbottom worked with Stones – who now has ten England caps – while he was a part-time coach in the Oakwell. He said of the move: "It's amazing and I am really pleased for him. He's got the move he wanted. Hopefully it can help him get better. "He's a very good player and hopefully this move will take him to another level."
