According to reports from Mirror Football, Arsenal have joined Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to sign Everton defender John Stones.
Since his January 2013 arrival from Barnsley, the 21-year-old has emerged as the most exciting home-grown defender in the Premier League, his rare agility, pace and skill earning comparisons with a young Rio Ferdinand. Stones has become one of the first names on the team-sheet at Goodison Park and it’s no secret that some of Europe’s top clubs are taking a vested interest in his immediate future.
Chelsea notoriously saw three bids rejected for the England international during the summer, the last and most lucrative believed to exceed the £30million mark, and are expected to launch another in January in an attempt to arrest their defensive woes. The Blues have conceded 23 times already this season, giving them the worst defensive record outside of the Premier League’s bottom five.
Likewise, Manchester United made their interest known in July and were linked with the 6 foot 2 defender yet again earlier this month, whilst European champions Barcelona are also believed to be monitoring his progress from afar. Intriguingly, Stones was the only Englishman to make Gerard Pique’s World XI in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph in November.
But Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona now face fresh competition for Stones’s signature from Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal. Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker remain Arsene Wenger’s indisputable first-choice partnership but aged 30 and 31 respectively, the Gunners need another long-term option breaking through – and £28million duo Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers are yet to convince.
Stones would certainly suit the Gunners’ technical style of play but whether Wenger is prepared to stump up the cash to sign the seven-cap international remains to be seen. Everton showed their resilience during the summer and will reportedly only sell the defender for a Premier League record £45million.