Arsenal remain keen on signing Manchester City defender John Stones, according to the Guardian. The centre-back is expected to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer and the impending arrival of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth could hasten his departure.
Head coach Mikel Arteta is reportedly a fan of the England international, after working with him during his time as assistant coach at City, but supporters on Twitter are very sceptical about signing the 26-year-old:
He’s prone to mistakes. Just like Mustafi
— ???????? ????? (@_abubakarkabir) July 22, 2020
We truly are reject fc
— Daven Rajan William (@DavenRajan) July 22, 2020
Chambers is better than this guy
— – super slarsh (@SlarshDeySing) July 22, 2020
Supporting this club is not for the faint hearted i swear ?
— SA_Gooner?? (@SipheleleQalaba) July 22, 2020
It’s a step sideways but we’ll be taking scraps off other clubs and giving them funds.
— Ice ? ⚪️ ??????? ?? (@Supreme_Saka) July 22, 2020
No thanks
— Dhaval (@Dhavvv35) July 22, 2020
Calamity Stones
— I am_Henry (@Henry4evame) July 22, 2020
Why don’t arsenal buy solid defenders?
— Ben Nicholls (@pieman80) July 22, 2020
No, not better than Rob Holding
— Daluxolo (@NellzNelson) July 22, 2020
Exactly the kind of stupid move arsenal would make. This board is going to destroy this club with their own hands..
— Flytrap (@Venus_flytrap76) July 22, 2020
Manager Pep Guardiola has only started the centre-half in 12 league games this season, and the Spaniard has already stated that he will sit down with the player at the end of the campaign to discuss his future.
Stones’ availability could well tempt Arsenal into making a move for the defender, but it must be pointed that he is not only prone to errors, he is susceptible to injury as well, having suffered from numerous fitness issues during his four years at City.