‘I worry’: Journalist says he’s got a big concern for Arsenal regarding Declan Rice now

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Arsenal seemed to be the firm favourites in the race to sign Declan Rice earlier this week, but that is changing with each passing hour.

Indeed, with Manchester City now reportedly firmly in the race to sign Rice, the landscape surrounding this deal has changed somewhat.

Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Mark Ogden has stated that he’s now worried for Arsenal in this story, claiming that the Gunners may now have a bit of a saga on their hands as they don’t want to pay over the odds for the player, and that could open the door for others to come in and swoop.

Saga developing

Ogden shared his verdict on Rice.

“We saw it with Mudryk, and this is the danger. Arsenal are a bit like Man United where clubs know they need to strengthen, West Ham were never going to let them get their players easily,” Ogden said.

“I worry that Arsenal may have a bit of a saga on their hands here because they don’t want to pay over the odds. They want to get Rice on a fee that is representing his value. This could go on for a few weeks and as it does go on West Ham will be waiting for a Man City, Man United or Chelsea to come in.”

Worrying

The last thing Arsenal need is a transfer saga to unfold here.

The Gunners’ stance in recent years has been to avoid bidding wars at all costs.

Raphinha, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Lisandro Martinez were all ditched as potential targets once there was a sniff of a bidding war breaking out, and Arsenal won’t want the same to happen here.

The Gunners ned to get this one sewn up as quickly as possible, because if others start to enter the race, they could slip down the pecking order quickly.