In recent reports, it is stated that West Ham’s Declan Rice, who has been a target for Manchester City, is now “set to join” Arsenal. The West Ham star is reportedly eager for a move to the Emirates.
Rice has emerged as Arsenal’s primary target for the summer transfer window. This comes after their failed attempt to sign Brighton’s Moises Caicedo in January.
West Ham has made it clear that Rice will be sold this summer. His departure comes on the back of their Europa Conference League triumph.
Even though West Ham has the option to extend Rice’s contract until 2025. They are still demanding a substantial fee for their prized asset, with an asking price of around £100m.
Arsenal has already seen two bids rejected for the midfielder. Although Manchester City has entered the race to sign him. It is believed that Rice strongly favors a move to the Emirates. This is largely due to the influence of manager Mikel Arteta.
Reports related to Arsenal signing Declan Rice
According to Football Transfers, Rice is still on track to join Arsenal this summer, despite increased interest from Manchester City. Personal terms with the player have reportedly been agreed upon. And, Rice is pushing for a move to Arsenal, their London rivals.
The next bid from Arsenal will be closer to West Ham’s £100m asking price. And the Gunners remain in a favorable position to secure Rice’s signature.
The report highlights that Manchester City has informed Rice’s camp that they will only submit an official bid if he clearly expresses a preference for joining City over Arsenal. As of yet, Rice has not given such assurances, indicating that he only has eyes for Arsenal.
This was reportedly a deciding factor in Bayern Munich withdrawing from the race, as they learned of Rice’s preference for Arsenal over the German champions.
Apart from Rice, Arsenal is actively seeking reinforcements in various positions. Manager Mikel Arteta has identified Chelsea’s Kai Havertz and Ajax’s Jurrien Timber as preferred targets.
Another Arsenal Target for the Summer
Additionally, Arsenal is pursuing a “cut-price” deal for PSV’s Xavi Simons, according to L’Equipe (via GFFN). PSG has a buy-back clause allowing them to re-sign Simons for just €6m after his impressive performance of 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances for PSV during the 2022/23 season.
However, the report suggests that Simons is against a return to PSG. As, he did not get sufficient opportunities before his move to the Netherlands. Arsenal is among the clubs who will be looking to capitalize on this situation. And Simons is reportedly leaning towards embracing a new challenge. It is possible that any club can secure his services by matching the €6m fee that PSG requires.
For further sports update, follow us on Twitter.
