Arsenal are leading the race to sign Chelsea and Manchester United target Declan Rice in the summer transfer window.
Ben Jacobs has written in his exclusive column for Caught Offside that Premier League leaders Arsenal are the front-runners to sign Declan Rice in the summer. They have been monitoring the player for a few years now and will push for signatures in the summer. But, they won’t be the only club that will be willing to go all in for the services of the 24-year-old.
Arsenal are a completely different team under Mikel Arteta. He has managed to transform the club in a few years’ time. Their struggles are over and now it is time they climb back to the top of European football. The Gunners are currently top of the table with 50 points in 20 matches.
Arteta’s team have a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, and they also have a game in hand. They can extend their lead to eight if things go according to plan. The north London club have a great opportunity to once again lift the Premier League title.
Apart from this, it is pretty much certain that they will feature in the UEFA Champions League next season. As a result, the Gunners are expected to be busy in the summer transfer window. While they might have signed Jorginho from Chelsea in the recently-concluded transfer window, they will still enter the market for another midfielder as per the reports.
Declan Rice is their priority target for the summer. The 24-year-old has been at West Ham United since joining their youth academy back in 2013. Rice has gone up the ranks at the club and has established himself as their most important player. He has played 222 matches for the Hammers and has 23 goal contributions.
Rice is a leader of the pack and has exceptional defensive awareness. The England international has great ball distribution skills and loves to sit in front of the defense and dictate the flow of the game. His signing will allow Arteta to have a more attacking approach. Since Arsenal is likely to push for European glory next season, signing him might actually give them an edge.
Rice is keen on moving to a Champions League club. His West Ham deals ends in the summer of 2024. David Moyes his manager believes if Rice leaves, it should be for a Premier League record fee. But, because he will have only a year left on his contract in the summer, the price might be a touch lower. A fee of around £70-80 million is what the Irons might have to settle with.
It won’t be an easy task for the Gunners to land him at the club, given the interest from across Europe as well as rival clubs in the Premier League. Chelsea and Manchester United might also go all out for him. The Blues have followed their former academy star for a long time, while Manchester United are keen on midfield reinforcements. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal beat the other suitors to the Englishman.
