Arteta is chasing a raid on his former club this summer.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly set to step up his pursuit of the transfer of Manchester City defender John Stones.
According to Team Talk, City look prepared to let Stones go for the same kind of fee they paid to sign him – £50million.
The report adds that Arteta believes he could play a key role in persuading the player he worked with at the Etihad Stadium to now link up with him at the Emirates next season.
£50m for Stones looks a bit much given his drop in form in recent times, but there’s no doubt the England international is a top talent and, at the age of 25, still has time to turn his career around.
Our defensive issues mean Stones would have less trouble playing regularly if he were to make the move to north London, and that could boost his confidence and get him back to his best.
Meanwhile, we’d benefit hugely from a signing like Stones if he were to get back to his highest level, as he’d surely be a major upgrade on unconvincing performers like David Luiz, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi.