Arsenal Transfer News: John Stones Requested by Arsene Wenger, Latest Rumours

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly asked the club's board to make a move for Everton defender John Stones as rumours regarding the immediate future of the youngster continue to increase.

Fichajes' Juan C. Navarro (h/t Metro's Tom Olver) claims Wenger plans to spend big during the January transfer window and has the 21-year-old at the top of his list as he's desperate for defensive reinforcements.

The Daily Mirror's Steve Stammers previously reported the Gunners would get involved in the race for the England international.

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Sport Witness) adds La Liga giants Barcelona to the list of potential suitors, although the Catalan club's financial struggles make a January transfer highly unlikely.

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Stones was one of the most talked-about defenders during the summer transfer window as Chelsea spent weeks trying to bring him to west London, to no avail. Everton reportedly value Stones at about £45 million, per Olver, and he's not going to leave for much less anytime soon.

While that's a steep fee to pay for any player, Stones has established himself as one of the top young defensive talents in the Premier League, and both his age and nationality only add to his value.

His long-term potential is tantalising, and as we saw when Raheem Sterling moved from Liverpool to Manchester City, top English talent will always come at a premium.

The Liverpool Echo's Tony Scott certainly believes Stones belongs in that category:

Stammers is adamant Wenger's reputation for refusing to throw big transfer fees at players he truly wants is ill-founded, citing moves for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as examples.

Stones may end up costing more than either of those players, however, and with Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista already in the squad, you have to wonder whether Wenger wouldn't rather spend the money in an area of more pressing need.

Arsenal don't have a strong holding midfielder to back up Francis Coquelin, or any real competition for Olivier Giroud at the striker position. The Gunners do have four players who can play at centre-back, with Koscielny, Paulista, Per Mertesacker and even Calum Chambers all comfortable there.

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Stones' availability may be an even bigger stumbling block than his eventual fee. Chelsea desperately tried to sign him during the summer and even resorted to openly tapping up the youngster at one point, as reported by the Guardian's Andy Hunter.

The Blues threw bags of cash at the Toffees, offering up to £37 million at one point, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror, but nothing worked. Everton wouldn't budge, and there's no reason to believe things would be different in January.

After a sloppy start to the season, Roberto Martinez's men are starting to find their best form, and they currently sit just six points behind Arsenal and the fourth UEFA Champions League ticket in the standings.

A UEFA Europa League push seems realistic for the Toffees, and in order to continue their momentum, they will have to be at their best after January.

The new Premier League TV deal makes it easier for clubs like Everton to stand their ground against the giants of English football, even if the proposed transfer fee is enormous, per ESPN FC's Vivek Chaudhary.

Perhaps the Toffees will finally be ready to sell in the summer, but a January move seems unlikely.

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