Serie A heavyweights Juventus have joined Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign John Stones on a free transfer this summer.
The England international is a free agent following the expiry of his Manchester City contract last month.
Arsenal are considering a move for the 32-year-old after the unfortunate injury setback for William Saliba at the World Cup.
Chelsea are likewise keen on his services, but the London pair could face fresh competition from Juventus, as per Sky Sports.
Arsenal yet to make formal contact for Stones
The club recently confirmed that Saliba picked up a back injury but he won’t undergo surgery.
Instead, he will commence a managed recovery programme and will be out for an ‘extended period‘.
The hierarchy are now exploring the transfer market for suitable cover. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa has emerged as a top target, but the price tag remains a stumbling block.
Arsenal value the Englishman between £30-35 million, while Villa are eyeing £60m. With Konsa turning 29 in October, the Gunners are highly unlikely to meet the current valuation.
A deal worth £40-45m could be negotiated for Konsa. If that does not happen, Arsenal could contemplate a move for Stones, who has vast Premier League experience under his belt.
Compared to Konsa (£75,000 per week), Stones earned significantly more at Man City (£250,000 per week), and he may have to accept a huge pay cut to make the switch to Arsenal.
The signing-on fee also needs to be moderate, given his injury record. Arsenal may seek to sign him in that case, but Juventus could still stand a better chance of landing him on a free.
Stones could avoid joining a Premier League rival after his 10-year spell at Man City. He could be tempted to move abroad with Juventus, where he could start regularly in a back three.
At Arsenal, Stones would still face competition from Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White and Jurrien Timber for the right centre-back role, which will be left vacant by Saliba’s injury.
Meanwhile, the Serie A is more tactical and less intense than the English top tier, which may help Stones stay unscathed and boost his England selection prospects for the future.
Stats from Capology