‘It kills me to say’: Pundit says Arsenal are the perfect club for 24-year-old he expects to move this summer

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Anton Ferdinand believes that this summer is the right time for Declan Rice to leave West Ham, with Arsenal the perfect fit for the 24-year-old.

Ferdinand was speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel about the midfielder’s future as the end of the season looms.

West Ham look set to face their toughest battle yet to keep Declan Rice. Reports from The Times in January claimed that Arsenal had made him their top target for the end of the season.

Anton Ferdinand says Declan Rice is perfect for Arsenal

Rice has kicked into another gear recently. Reports suggested that Erik ten Hag was left in awe by Rice’s display in West Ham’s win over Manchester United at the weekend.

Anton Ferdinand believes that Rice leaving the Hammers is inevitable at this stage. And he went on to add that he looks to be ideal for Mikel Arteta’s squad.

“I think this will be it, if I’m being really honest. It kills me to say because he’s been such a fantastic player and a massive part of our team. But I think for him and for us as a club, I think it’s time,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel. “He’s given everything he can to the football club. And if we do win the Conference League, that’s a perfect sign-off.

“Arsenal’s the perfect fit for him. I’d play him in the eight, I’d play him where Xhaka is.”

West Ham have had a really mixed campaign. They now look to be safe in the Premier League. But their survival was definitely in the balance for a long time.

They are in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League. But that is unlikely to be enough to convince Rice to stay if he has ambitions to challenge for the Premier League title.

He is a player who should be coming into the peak years of his career. And Arsenal have built a squad that is going to continue to grow in the years to come.

So it is not hard to see why Ferdinand sees the Emirates as the ideal destination for Rice in the coming months.

Certainly, the smart money would surely be on Arsenal winning the race after the campaign they have had.