West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been linked with Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea in recent weeks.
According to a report from The Guardian, Declan Rice would prefer a move to Arsenal over Chelsea. The Gunners have been in exceptional form this season, and they are well-placed to win the Premier League title. If that happens, they would secure Champions League qualification as well, and the £100 million-rated English international wants to join a club in the premier European competition.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a dismal campaign so far, and the Blues will need a major slice of luck in order to secure European football next season let alone the Champions league. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can agree on a deal with West Ham United for the 24-year-old defensive midfielder.
Rice has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League. And he could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition for Mikel Arteta. The England international has proved his quality with his country as well in the recently concluded World Cup and the European Championships prior to that.
Rice has all the attributes to develop into a world-class player, and Arsenal could benefit from having someone like him at their disposal. The 24-year-old could partner Thomas Partey in the midfield next season, and the duo would sort out Arsenal’s midfield concerns for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, recent reports have claimed that the Gunners can sign Rice if they win the Premier League title.
The Gunners were recently beaten to the signing of Mykhaylo Mudryk by Chelsea. So it will be interesting to see whether they can fend off the interest from their London rivals and secure the services of Rice. But Rice’s £100 million price tag complicates matters for Arsenal.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a return to his boyhood club as well. And Chelsea will try to re-sign their former academy prospect at the end of the season. However, that would be quite difficult if they fail to secure Champions League qualification. That said, Chelsea are in a good position to afford paying £100 million to sign Rice.
The way they have played in recent weeks, it seems highly unlikely that they will make it to the top four, especially with clubs like Newcastle United and Manchester United in fine form and well ahead of the Blues in the table. Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo might be higher on the preference order for Graham Potter than Rice.