Arsenal have stepped up their chase of Declan Rice and remain confident of sealing a move for their top midfield target.

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are inching closer to sealing a move for top midfield target Declan Rice. The Gunners have remained in contact with the West Ham United captain’s entourage over a £200,000-a-week deal. And the Hammers could close the deal for about £70-80 million.

Arsenal regained the top position in the Premier League table after a stunning victory away at Aston Villa, while Manchester City could only manage a draw with Nottingham Forest. Those results put Mikel Arteta’s side back in charge of the title race, allowing them to open up a two-point lead with a game in hand.

While they remain far from the finishing line, winning the title would help them immensely in the transfer market. The next window will get dominated by midfielders as several sides will look to sign a top player in that position.

Arsenal have a peculiar need for a new holding midfielder, and Arteta does not want to look too far away for the requirement. The Gunners want to sign top midfield target Declan Rice and lead the chase ahead of long-time admirers Chelsea.

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The report reckons a bid worth £70-80 million could suffice despite stories suggesting West Ham could demand as much as £150 million. Recently, David Moyes hinted at clubs needing to break the British transfer record set by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez to sign Rice away from the club.

Arsenal are reportedly keen on handing Rice a £200,000-a-week deal to tempt him and possibly get an agreement before the season ends. If the contract stories are accurate, it will more than triple Rice’s current wages, which is around £60,000 per week.

However, there are suggestions that Rice would be open to joining Arsenal as he wants to play in the UEFA Champions League and under Arteta. If his choice becomes clearer and the Gunners emerge as his only viable option, then the Hammers would have to settle for a lower fee than their valuations of the midfielder.

Moreover, Rice would prefer to remain in London, which leaves only Arsenal and Chelsea for competition. However, with the Blues unlikely to finish in Champions League places, Arteta’s side may have a clear path for their top midfield target, for who they could break the bank.

For now, Arsenal are the clear favourites for the midfielder. But they have previously witnessed massive twists in pursuit of priority targets. In January, Chelsea pipped them to Mykhaylo Mudryk, something the Gunners would hope does not repeat in their pursuit of Rice.

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