Arsenal admirers of Declan Rice with West Ham exit likely - journalist
Journalist Ben Jacobs has told The Football Terrace that Arsenal are admirers of Declan Rice, and suggested that you cannot rule out the Gunners being the ones to sign the West Ham star in the summer.
Jacobs believes that Rice is destined to leave the London Stadium at the end of the season. He has been an outstanding servant for the Hammers over the last few years. However, it has been a disappointing campaign for David Moyes’ men.
They will surely have more than enough to keep themselves out of trouble in the Premier League. But it seems that it may be the right time for Rice to look to move on.
Arsenal admirers of Declan Rice
Jacobs suggested that the England international is likely to delay any decision on his future until later in the season. He also hinted that some of those in the running for his signature believe that he could be available for just £70 million.
The journalist was asked about the possibility of Arsenal joining the charge. And while he insisted that there is nothing concrete on Rice’s future just yet, he did suggest that Mikel Arteta’s men are fans of the 23-year-old.
“There’s a very realistic chance that Arsenal enter the conversation,” he told The Football Terrace.
“There is some substance to the Arsenal links, in terms of their admiration for the player. But they haven’t moved to the same degree, in terms of the leg work on the player’s side, as a club like Chelsea for example. We can’t rule out Manchester United, we can’t rule out Liverpool. And, at this point, we can’t even rule out a European club.
“You certainly can’t discount Arsenal. But I think that we probably need a few more months to pass before more clarity emerges.”
It says a lot that Arsenal are now in the conversation for Rice – even if only on the periphery right now. Previously, there seemed to be no chance of the Gunners being able to lure him to the Emirates.
But Arsenal have made rapid progress in the last 12 months. It would be a shock if they now failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League. And they are most definitely in contention to win the title. They now have a sizeable lead over their rivals.
Signing another midfielder will be a priority for one of the next couple of windows. Their midfield has been absolutely outstanding this season. But they need more depth, particularly if they are going to return to the Champions League.
And signing someone like Rice would be an unbelievable statement.
Clearly, it is too soon to suggest whether Arsenal have a genuine chance of a deal. But it is encouraging that they appear to be in the race.
