Chelsea are hoping to strike a deal to sign John Stones from Manchester City this summer, a player Arsenal have also been linked with in recent months.
The 26 year-old has struggled for fitness this season, but when fit, he failed to command a regular starting role, while Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho were all ahead of him in the pecking order.
The Citizens have since agreed to sign Nathan Ake from Bournemouth in a supposed £41 Million deal, which could well see Stones slip even further from the starting line-up.
The Mirror now states that Chelsea are now eyeing a deal to save the England international from the fringes at the Etihad, but will only take a chance if their league rivals accept a fraction of the fee they paid to sign him from Everton in 2016.
The Blues are said to be hoping to strike a bargain £20 Million deal for the out of favour centre-back, with Frank Lampard of the belief that he can resurrect his form.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Stones, and with question marks being raised over their pursuit of Gabriel Magalhaes today, they may well monitor the situation closely.
The Gunners have had their own issues at the back this season, and Mikel Arteta will be keen to fix that over the summer months.
Would Stones be a hit under Arteta in the Arsenal setup? If Lampard has struggled to strike the right tune out his current crop, why would he be so upbeat about resurrecting Stones form at Stamford Bridge?
Patrick
