Arsenal favourite to sign Declan Rice
Arsenal are in pole position to snare Declan Rice from West Ham after the central midfielder rejected Chelsea’s advances and ‘gave his word’ he would be moving to the Emirates, according to reports.
Rice is getting closer and closer to leaving West Ham. His contract with the Irons expires in summer 2024 and he is unwilling to pen an extension.
As such, it is in West Ham’s interests to sell him for a big fee at the end of the current season, rather than selling him for less money at a later date.
Chelsea have previously been viewed as the frontrunners to land Rice. This is because of him previously playing in their academy. Plus, he has a great relationship with Blues star Mason Mount.
Rice has also been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, in recent weeks Arsenal have emerged as the most likely club to sign the England international.
According to a recent report from The Guardian, Rice is leaning towards joining Mikel Arteta’s side. And Arsenal have put him at the top of their wish list for the summer.
The Boot Room have now provided an update on the situation, while citing reports coming out of Spain. They claim interest in Rice has also emerged from Real Madrid recently. Perhaps Carlo Ancelotti views him as an alternative to Jude Bellingham, who is most likely to sign for Liverpool.
Unfortunately for Real, there is little chance they will be able to get Rice. This is because he has pushed back their advances and is instead prioritising an Arsenal switch.
To get Arsenal fans even more excited, Rice has apparently ‘given his word’ to Arteta that he will be joining the Gunners.
He already has an agreement in place with the north London side. As such, it is now up to Arsenal to strike an agreement with West Ham before the transfer can reach completion.
Fabrizio Romano has also given his information on Rice and the Arsenal rumours. During an appearance on the House of Champions YouTube channel, the transfer guru was asked about Arsenal’s failed move for Mykhaylo Mudryk.
He went on to reveal that straight after Mudryk was announced as a Chelsea player, Arsenal officials held a meeting about Rice.
Clearly, the likes of Edu and Arteta will be discussing how Rice fits into the Arsenal squad and what steps they should take to win the race for him.
Rice is not the only Premier League midfielder Arsenal are looking at. They have been tipped to complete a midfield revamp by landing both Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Amadou Onana of Everton.
But Rice is a step above both of those players. He is already West Ham’s captain and is a regular in the England national team. He has been one of the best midfielders in the Prem over the last few seasons. Due to these factors, he would take Arsenal to the next level.
