According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are prepared to go all out in their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. The 24-year-old has been one of England’s most highly sought-after players for some time, and a move away from West Ham seems likely now that manager David Moyes has admitted that Rice could be playing elsewhere next season. With Rice’s contract expiring next year and no interest in extending from the player’s side, West Ham are looking to sell this summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea among the interested parties. Manchester United has also been linked with Rice.
However, Romano claims that it is Arsenal who are most keen to secure Rice’s signature, as Mikel Arteta looks to build a squad capable of challenging for the title and going deep in the Champions League next season. With the likely departure of Granit Xhaka, Arsenal will need to bring in reinforcements in midfield, and signing Rice would be a significant coup for the Gunners.
What did Romano say?
Fabrizio Romano stated in a YouTube video to his 1.6 million subscribers that Arsenal need to sign at least one more midfielder, possibly two depending on their budget. He also mentioned that Declan Rice has always been a top target for Arsenal and they are planning to prepare an official bid in the coming weeks. However, West Ham is not interested in negotiating at the moment and wants to focus on the Conference League and the final games of the season before discussing Rice’s future in June. Despite the interest from other English clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United, Romano believes that Arsenal will prioritize signing Rice and will go all out to secure his signature.