Premier League leaders Arsenal will reportedly attempt to sign both Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo during the summer transfer window but could face stiff competition from Manchester United for the former.
That’s according to journalist Ben Jacobs (via Give Me Sport), who says Arsenal have identified England sensation and Manchester United target Declan Rice as their No. 1 target, with Mikel Arteta set to prioritise a new marquee midfield signing in the summer after failing to land Moises Caicedo this past January.
It was a hectic few final days in the January transfer window for Mikel Arteta and co. Mohamed Elneny picked up a serious knee injury that could see him miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. The bad news led Arsenal to shift their attention to a last-minute midfield winter acquisition.
The Gunners had two bids for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Caicedo rejected, despite the player making a public plea to his current club to let him leave the Amex and pursue a fantastic opportunity at the Emirates Stadium.
Brighton stood firm on their “not for sale” stance, though, and Ecuador international stayed put on the south coast beyond deadline day, forcing Arsenal to consider alternative avenues.
Ultimately, Mikel Arteta’s side managed to agree on a deadline-day deal to land Jorginho from cross-London rivals Chelsea, forking out £10 million plus a further £2 million in add-ons to land the Italian on an 18-month contract. But at 31, Jorginho is hardly a long-term solution to Arsenal’s ageing midfield problem, with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey both turning 31 and 30 this year, respectively.
As a result, the summer transfer window could well be used to revamp the midfield by technical director Edu. While they could return with another attempt for Caicedo as well, as per Jacobs, the Gunners have identified Declan Rice as their priority target for the summer window.
Rice, who has only 18 months left on his contract, has turned down several new contract offers to remain at the London Stadium, and the East London outfit have realised that they will have to sell him next summer or risk missing out on a hefty profit.
Only last summer, West Ham made it clear to everyone that Rice would cost an outrageous fee in excess of £100 million, while Hammers’ boss David Moyes has recently claimed that Rice will blow the British transfer record “out of the water” if he were to leave the club this summer.
Arsenal should have plenty of cash to spend, with failed moves for Caicedo and Mykhaylo Mudryk providing them with the wiggle room to play with. Manchester United are also very much in the running to sign the West Ham midfielder and could offer an attractive proposition of Champions League football next term.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag was keen on landing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona last summer, and there continues to remain an interest. Rice could be an excellent alternative option, and he could play alongside Casemiro with Eriksen being used in rotation.
Regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League, Rice would be an ideal signing for a number of top guns. West Ham will most likely want a bidding war between Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal for their prized asset to maximise their earning potential.
