Wenger requests investment as he looks to beat Chelsea to £45m defender

Posted Friday, December 04, 2015 by Caughtoffside.com

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is understood to have requested that his board bid for Everton defender John Stones, as they look to beat Chelsea to the centre-back.

The England international emerged as one of the stars of the season last term, and his cultured performances in the heart of the Toffees defence saw him linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

While Chelsea failed with several bids for the international defender, they may yet look to return for the player in January with the Daily Mail [via the Express] reporting that Jose Mourinho remains keen on acquiring the defender, who would appear to be an ideal long-term replacement for John Terry.

However, should the Pensioners retain interest in the 21-year-old, they are likely to face competition from Arsenal, with Fichajes [via the Metro] reporting that the Gunners are keen on brining the Goodison Park hero to the Emirates Stadium.

According to the Metro [as above], Everton have slapped a price tag of £45 million on Stones, meaning that Arsenal would surely need to make an eye-watering offer in order to bring the youngster to North London.