Arsenal will have to pay a minimum of £100m to sign Declan Rice from West Ham this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.
Sky Sports reported earlier this week that Chelsea and Liverpool are also in the race to sign the 24-year-old midfielder – who is likely to leave the Hammers in the summer transfer window.
Football Insider claims that West Ham won’t entertain any swap deal or part-exchange deal for Rice, and any potential suitor will have to pay at least £100m for the England midfielder.
Rice has emerged as a key target for Arsenal and it would be a club-record signing should Mikel Arteta’s side manage to secure a deal for the midfielder.
David Moyes hailed Rice as “the best English midfielder” at the moment, and the Hammers are unlikely to drop their asking price for their skipper, especially now they have secured their Premier League status for the upcoming season.
Record transfer
Rice has a contract at the London club until 2024 and West Ham have the option to extend his deal for another year. Out of respect for what the midfielder has done for the club, the Hammers will let him go, but only if their terms are met.
Likewise, Rice doesn’t want to tarnish his reputation by agitating a move, but he has harbored his desire to play for a top club. If Arsenal really want him, they will have to pay a premium fee and it’s futile to debate whether Rice is worth the amount.
The Hammers feel he is one of the best in the league and there are absolutely within their rights to demand a high transfer fee. Arsenal are also interested in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo but he would also be an equally expensive signing.
Nevertheless, Rice is expected to leave the London stadium this summer, and the Gunners are in pole position to sign him. Martin Keown has recently suggested that Rice would be too expensive for the Gunners, but surely they can afford him having qualified for the Champions League.
