Stoke City enter race to sign Arsenal target and Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings

Arsenal are reportedly set to suffer a blow in the transfer market after Stoke City entered the race for Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings.

According to the Mirror, the Britannia Stadium outfit are keen on signing the defender during the ongoing January transfer window and are pondering a bid in the £4m region for the defender.

The 21-year-old defender has been in impressive form for Ipswich this season, and this has attracted the attention of various Premier League clubs, with Arsenal being admirers of the defender.

The versatile defender, who is primarily a centre-back can also cover in the full-back position, a quality greatly admired by Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners boss also admitted to be interested in the player earlier in the season, but dismissed any chance of signing him during the winter transfer window, when he said: "No [we are not signing Mings]."

This has given hope to Stoke boss Mark Hughes and he is ready to step up his interest in the defender and make a move for him this month.

It will be a big blow for the north London club, if the highly-rated defender chooses Stoke over a move to the Emirates Stadium.

However, the defender has remained calm despite all the speculation linking him to the top tier of English football and insists that his complete focus remains on giving his best for Ipswich, the team that gave him his chance to shine.

"I haven't received any offers. It's very easy to keep doing what I am doing. The speculation has come from me playing well at Ipswich and getting the opportunity here so that's all I can continue to do, to play well and keep my attention here," Mings said.

"I don't know if an offer would turn my head. We have to wait for that day to come, but I doubt it would. I am absolutely confident I will be here at the end of January. I don't see a reason why anything else would happen."