Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has urged the Gunners to move for Manchester City defender John Stones this summer.
The Englishman has fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola this term and has been tipped to depart the Etihad ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
Indeed, Stones has turned out just 15 times in the Premier League this season, and Merson believes that Stones would flourish under Mikel Arteta following their time together at City.
"Mikel Arteta has no chance of getting the money he needs out of Arsenal," Merson wrote in his column for the Daily Star.
"They could spend £200m and still not make the Champions League next season because the gap is so big. They need a centre-back, a central midfielder and another striker. The whole spine of the team really.
"And I think he might go for John Stones at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola doesn't seem to trust him, and Arteta has worked with him before.
"Arsenal need an out and out defender, not another David Luiz who knows how to play the ball out from the back but makes a lot of mistakes.
"But Stones is English, young enough to improve, and Arteta will know all about him and know he fits into the system."
Stones was left on the bench for Man City's FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal, where a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brace saw Arteta's men knock out the current holders on Saturday evening to reach the final.
Ben Knapton
