Arsenal remain in the driving seat to sign West Ham United’s Declan Rice this summer, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester United, with the Gunners expected to make their move next week.
The Gunners have been strongly linked with a move for the 24-year-old, who has enjoyed another outstanding season in east London despite David Moyes’ side only narrowly escaping relegation from the top flight.
He is expected to leave the London Stadium this summer, with his current deal up in 2024, and though there is an option to extend it until 2025 it feels like the last chance for West Ham to get anything the true value for Rice from interested parties.
He has been linked with a whole host of clubs, and is reportedly in contact with both Manchester United and Bayern Munich, but the German giants are unlikely to be able to afford him while Erik ten Hag’s priorities lay elsewhere, amid rumours of a move for Chelsea’s Mason Mount.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have made Rice their no.1 summer target and have put in plenty of ground work in to make a deal happen. Now, as per Fabrizio Romano, their first bid for the Hammers skipper is expected to go in after the UEFA Conference League final, when Rice’s side take on Fiorentina in a bid to land their first European trophy since the 1960s.
The Gunners are keen not to jeopardise either Rice’s chances of lifting a major trophy or their relationship with the player or club. He is the centre-piece of what is expected to be a massive summer for the north London side, with another midfielder, a fullback and even potentially another striker coming into the fold in a bid to challenge for the Premier League title again next season.
