Arsenal are preparing to make an approach for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the coming weeks, according to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, as quoted in the Daily Briefing.
The England international is a priority for Arsenal as they look to make changes in midfield, with Romano also explaining that Granit Xhaka is in advanced talks over leaving the Emirates Stadium for a €15m transfer to Bayer Leverkusen.
Rice looks ideal for Arsenal, but one issue is that West Ham don’t want to start negotiations just yet, as they want to fully focus on their possible participation in the Europa Conference League final.
Still, one issue for the Gunners is that they could also face competition for Rice’s signature, with Romano mentioning Chelsea and Manchester United as hovering in the background.
Rice would surely rather join Arsenal over Chelsea at the moment, with the Blues set to miss out on Champions League football, though Man Utd could perhaps be tempting for the 24-year-old if they do secure a top four finish.
While Xhaka has had an outstanding season for Arsenal, there’s surely no doubt that a talent like Rice would be an upgrade, as well as being a more long-term option due to being six years younger.