'Everything I've heard': Journalist is convinced £70m player really wants to join Arsenal this summer

By Charles Jones

ESPN’s James Benge is led to believe that Declan Rice really wants to join Arsenal this summer.

Speaking on the This Week In Arsenal Podcast, the journalist claimed that Rice is enamoured by a move to Arsenal and that everything he hears seems to suggest that Rice is super keen on a move to the Emirates.

The midfielder has been named as the club’s top summer transfer target by The Times, and with a £70m pricetag attached, this will be one of the biggest signings in the club’s history.

Rice wants to join

Benge shared what he knows about Rice.

“With Rice, as reported before and everything I’ve heard since has made me more convinced, he’s really taken by the idea of moving to Arsenal. I think every party in the deal is of  view that it’s probably the right time to a move to happen.There are other clubs interested in Rice, that’s undoubtedly the case, but at the start of the season Arsenal wouldn’t have even entered Rice’s consideration. From what I’ve heard they’re a team they are really enamoured with and he has been talking with people about that move,” Benge said.

So much progress

This just goes to show how much progress Arsenal have made as a club over the past 12 months.

As Benge says, at the start of the season, Arsenal wouldn’t have even been considered to be in this race, but now, they’re seemingly favourites to sign the England international.

Of course, there is still a long way to go before Rice is an Arsenal player, but with West Ham seemingly being forced to sell this summer and the player keen on the move, it may not be long before we see the midfielder posing with the famous red shirt.