Arsenal and Chelsea are among suitors confident of signing Declan Rice for a £75-80 million figure than the ones previously quoted by David Moyes.
Ben Jacobs via Give Me Sport reckons Arsenal and Chelsea could sign Declan Rice for around £75-80 million. These prices are significantly lower than the figures West Ham United manager David Moyes quoted earlier. The Scotsman has insisted it would take more than the current British record to sign the midfielder.
Mikel Arteta will focus on qualitative signings once the summer window opens. Having spent significantly over the last two years, the Arsenal boss only wants players that improve his current team and is eyeing a move for Declan Rice.
The West Ham midfielder has long been linked with a move to Chelsea, where he spent his formative years. The Blues remain in the chase for the 24-year-old midfielder, but their failure to qualify for the Champions League could backfire against them.
While Chelsea can always convince Rice about the prospect of a long and successful career at his old stomping ground, the midfielder looks at things differently. The widespread media insistence that Arsenal remain the favourites may have some truth.
The Gunners are optimistic about beating the competition for the 24-year-old midfielder. Arteta sees him as a viable competitor to Thomas Partey but feels the duo could play together in his system. Rice would make the Premier League leaders stronger than they already are on paper, which could transform the Gunners into challengers on all fronts.
However, the price tag quoted by David Moyes recently may affect the transfer. The Scotsman claimed Rice would cost way more than the current British record paid by Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez. There were suggestions the Hammers could seek as much as £150 million.
However, Ben Jacobs suggested Rice would be available for £75-80 million in the current market. He insisted that Arsenal and Chelsea could sign him for that above sum, not the huge tag placed through the media.
Jacobs said, “I think that suitors like Arsenal and Chelsea, who may even be in the race as well, are quietly confident that they can get a player like Declan Rice for something between £75m and £80m, which sounds like a lot of money, but I think Arsenal see that as value. And I think that summarises how they’ll act in the summer generally.”
“It’s not about how much they spend because they will have that financial muscle. It’s about finding value in the market and that’s always been Arsenal’s model. I don’t expect that to change regardless of winning the Champions League or the Premier League. They’ve never wanted to put it out there in the market that they’re prepared to spend wildly above the odds, even on a player that they so desperately want.”
As for where Rice would play his football next season, it is difficult to see past Arsenal. The Gunners will allow him to compete for the best trophies and play in the Champions League. The 24-year-old remains desperate to play in the premier European competition, something Chelsea may not offer.
With the financial muscle, Chelsea could become a strong contender in this race. And had they made it to Europe, Rice might have joined them. For now, Arsenal might come in as favourites to land the midfielder.
