Journalist Simon Phillips has told GiveMeSport that Chelsea will ‘definitely’ battle it out with Arsenal over a deal to sign Declan Rice this summer.
Rice’s contract with West Ham expires in 2024 he’s been tipped to leave the club at the end of the season. The Englishman has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in recent weeks with the Telegraph claiming the Gunners have made Rice their top summer transfer target.
Mikel Arteta desperately wants to strengthen his midfield options as he knows Arsenal need more support for Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka. The North Londoners are bidding to sign Moises Caicedo this month but they will still move for Rice at the end of the season even if they sign the Brighton star.
There is growing confidence at Arsenal that they can lure Rice to the Emirates Stadium but it appears they will face stiff competition as Simon Phillips says Chelsea are certain to be in the race to sign the West Ham man.
Speaking about Chelsea’s interest, Phillips claims that the Blues will ‘definitely’ be in the running for Rice’s signature in the summer along with Arsenal. And where he ends up could be decided by who qualifies for the Champions League next season.
It is one that Chelsea are definitely still going to be involved in, but the decision will all be down to Declan Rice and I think a lot will depend on what happens between now and the end of the season, with Arsenal with Chelsea, what other clubs come in.
“You know, Rice has made it clear he wants to play Champions League football and at the moment, Chelsea are sat in 10th position in the league, but they’ll definitely be in the race, it will be a race and I don’t expect Rice to make any decisions on that anytime soon.”
(Source: GMS)
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West Ham have insisted on sticking to a £100 million transfer fee for Rice but the Guardian says they could settle for a fee close to £80 million in the summer due to the players contract situation.
Chelsea have the financial muscle to outbid Arsenal but the Gunners will be quietly confident of trumping their rivals. The Guardian reported this month that Arsenal are interested in making Rice their record signing and the Three Lions star is leaning towards a move to Emirates stadium.
While Chelsea have been extremely active in the market this month, they are currently 10th (29 points) in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of fourth-placed rivals Manchester United.
It seems securing a UEFA Champions League spot will be key to attracting Rice as Arsenal as almost certain of finishing in the top four as they’re currently 14 points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham with two games in hand.
Rice would be an excellent signing for Arsenal or Chelsea as he’s one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, so it’s going to be interesting to see where he ends up this summer.
