According to Sky Germany, Arsenal have been joined up by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the race for the signature of Declan Rice.
The English midfielder is one of the big faces that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks to add to his current crop, as the North London side ready themselves for Champions League nights next season.
The 24-year-old is expected to leave his current employers West Ham United this summer, as he nears the end of his current deal, which expires next summer.
The Englishman has been one of the consistent names at the London Stadium, making 244 appearances for the Hammers, since he made his Premier League debut in May 2017.
According to the latest development, as per Sky Germany, former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has already dialed up Rice’s number to register an interest. And the 24-year-old is open to joining the Bavarians, despite being strongly linked to Arsenal in recent months.
The Sky’s reporter Florian Plettenberg further said in his tweet that Bayern are trying to move fast for him to beat off competition from the Gunners.
The Englishman is not just the player on the wishlist of Arsenal’s hierarchical team though. Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo is another name that is appreciated inside the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have already seen two bids rejected for the Ecuadorian in January, with the latest being in the region of a whopping £70 million.
It will be intriguing to see if the Gunners try to chase either one of Rice and Caicedo or both. With the departure of Granit Xhaka looking imminent, the arrival of the duo would be a huge statement.
The other two midfielders linked to the switch to North London are Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Man City’s Ilkay Gundogan. However, competition for either one of them is going to be fierce.
But this summer, Arsenal have more jewelry on their chest due to qualification in Europe’s elite competition. And that will only strengthen their cause of wooing in top talent from not just the continent but the whole world.
