Arsenal
Arsenal in pole position to sign Declan Rice
Arsenal are in pole position to sign prime target Declan Rice but may have to splash £100m to get a deal agreed with West Ham this summer
Arsenal have been interested in Declan Rice for the longest time, even with Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho in midfield, but Fraser Fletcher of Football Insider says the Gunners may have to break their transfer record to sign him.
West Ham United are requesting £100m for the 24-year-old, so it remains to be seen if Arsenal will land their man. Rice has an uncertain future at the Olympic Stadium as he’s out of contract in 2024 while openly stating his desire to play in Europe.
Rice wants to play in Europe
West Ham are in a relegation battle this season, so it’s expected they will cash in on Rice while he still has value, rather than risk losing him for nothing next year. Arsenal are looking to take advantage of the situation with Elneny’s future uncertain after an injury-laden campaign, but Fletcher notes that Manchester City and his former club Chelsea are also interested.
Rice would reportedly prefer staying in London, so that gives Arsenal a boost in their pursuit. The Gunners will be in the Champions League next season and hope to challenge on all fronts, so they’re a more attractive prospect than his old side.
Rice, who was London-born in 1999, has made 238 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers since joining from Chelsea in 2013, scoring 14 goals with 13 assists. The England international has contributed eight goals in 44 games across the board this season, playing a big part in West Ham staying out of the bottom three, but this might be his last campaign for the Irons.
David Moyes is desperate to keep Rice at West Ham, but United aren’t having luck tying him to a new contract. It’s hard to see him turning down a move to Arsenal if the two clubs agreed a transfer fee.
Per WhoScored, the England international would be first in the Gunners’ squad for tackles per game (2.3), first for interceptions per game (1.8), sixth for chances created per game (1.1), sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.9) and fifth for passes made per game (56.3), so he’d be a great addition.
Arsenal’s transfer record is £71m for Nicolas Pepe in 2019/20, so Rice would smash that figure if they match West Ham’s asking price. Arteta is a big fan of the 24-year-old, but he might want to negotiate the £100m valuation down.
