Arsenal want to sign John Stones from Manchester City, even if it’s only as a January loan move, according to a report.

The S*n claim Arsenal are making John Stones their ‘top transfer target’ under Mikel Arteta. The defender wants regular first-team football between now and the end of the season, to boost his chances of featuring at Euro 2020.

Stones and Arteta use the same agency, and the City man would be keen to discuss a move. A loan is a possibility, given Arsenal’s restricted January budget and Stones’ immediate desire for games.

The 25-year-old travelled to London to see his agent last week, and is due back again this week. According to Daniel Cutts, a move to Arsenal was part of their discussion.

However, Manchester Evening News claim City don’t want to move him on in the current window. They feel they’re already low on central defenders. The summer is more likely to bring a move.

Stones is up to 14 appearances for the season, though a couple of injuries are as much a factor in that as anything else. He played his first Premier League game in over a month against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The centre-back is still usually with the England squad when available. He travelled for the last international break and started one of the two games. Playing time between now and summer will certainly affect his chances though.