Fabrizio Romano names who are favourites to sign Declan Rice now; Arsenal or Manchester City

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Manchester City are in for Declan Rice.

The Athletic have reported that the Premier League champions are keen to sign the West Ham midfielder from under Arsenal’s noses, and there is now concern amongst Arsenal supporters around this deal.

However, there is good news for Arsenal fans.

Indeed, according to Fabrizio Romano, despite Manchester City’s presence in this transfer race, Arsenal remain the favourites for Rice’s signature.

It sounds as though the Gunners could still get their man, but with Manchester City breathing down their necks, this is far from a foregone conclusion at this point.

We’ve seen before how Arsenal can fumble these deals at the eleventh hour. No Gooner will need reminding of the Mykhaylo Mudryk deal in January where Chelsea came from out of nowhere to hijack a move that looked to be all-but done.

Of course, as the old saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. Arsenal will want to do everything in their power to make sure that this Rice deal doesn’t go the same way as the Mudryk deal.

However, it does have to be said that when Manchester City come calling, they usually do get their man.

It has been widely reported that Rice wants to stay in London, so Arsenal do have an edge on that basis, but at the same time, would any player reject the newly crowned champions of Europe for a side that hasn’t had a serious run in the Champions League for over a decade?

This is a really interesting situation that is unfolding as the Premier League’s two best teams last season lock horns and try to battle for Rice’s signature.

One thing is for sure, West Ham will be buzzing to see Arsenal and City fighting over their prized asset.