Arsenal frontrunners to sign Declan Rice

Arsenal may have a ‘clear run’ to sign Declan Rice in the summer, with the midfielder an admirer of Mikel Arteta.

According to Paul Brown via Give Me Sport, Arsenal have the advantage in the Declan Rice chase. The Gunners may have a ‘clear run’ for the 24-year-old Chelsea target, with the midfielder reportedly a vivid admirer of Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal may have proven their mettle by challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title, but they must keep improving each season. Hence, Mikel Arteta will place the importance of the work in the next transfer window, which could be the most important one in the club’s recent history.

With Champions League qualification almost guaranteed, Arsenal also stand a great chance of winning the Premier League title. If they are to achieve those objectives, they will become an attractive destination for some of the top players, who would then dream of playing under Arteta.

Arsenal are prioritising Declan Rice but face competition from Chelsea for the midfielder. The 24-year-old is certain to depart West Ham United in the summer after rejecting their overtures to extend his deal at the club.

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His contract expires in 2024, meaning West Ham could cash in if they receive a sizeable offer. The Hammers will certainly hope for more clubs to show an interest, as they reportedly want £150 million. Realistically, Rice is valued for far less than the earlier figure, with Arsenal leading the race.

Meanwhile, Journalist Paul Brown believes Chelsea’s spending patterns could also pave the way for Arsenal to sign Rice. He suggested the Stamford Bridge outfit will need massive sales to generate funds for a player like the 24-year-old midfielder.

“Chelsea spent so much money in the last two transfer windows that I don’t think they would have the capacity, shall we say, to sign someone like Declan Rice without a huge fire sale of players simply because they might be in trouble with cost control rules in the Premier League. So, it’s possible that Arsenal gets a clear run on Rice this summer, which would be incredible.”

The Gunners could certainly have a ‘clear run’ for the 24-year-old Chelsea target if the midfielder prefers to join them. The report insists Rice admires Arteta and believes he would flourish under the Spanish manager. Arsenal would certainly become challengers on all fronts with Rice on their side.

They are willing to hand Rice a bumper contract which could reportedly earn him over £200,000 per week in wages, which could more than triple his current salary. The midfielder is seen as a long-term replacement for Thomas Partey, although the Ghanaian has shown no signs of slowing down.

While Partey has proven his worth in Arsenal’s title challenge, many believe Rice would drastically improve them in the position. Moreover, the lure of playing in the Champions League would make him want to join the Gunners ahead of Chelsea, considering the Blues are unlikely to qualify for the premier European competition.