Arsenal are ‘very, very seriously interested in’ West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, who is expecting the Gunners to make a ‘big bid’ for the England international once the summer transfer window opens later this year.
After refusing to extend his contract beyond 2024, although the Hammers retain the option of adding an additional year, Rice, 24, looks set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Valued at a price that would be a British record by manager David Moyes, whichever club attempts to sign the 24-year-old will know that the defensive midfielder won’t come cheap.
“He’ll be a British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham,” Moyes told reporters recently, as quoted by Football London.
And confirming that he wants his star midfielder to stick around, the Scotsman added: “I hope it’s not. I hope he sees his time here.”
However, despite Moyes’ insistence that the Londoners will not be bullied into offloading their best player, Sheth is expecting Mikel Arteta to go all out to bring the former Chelsea youth star to the Emirates in time for next season.
“We know that Arsenal want to bring in a central midfielder and we know that Declan Rice is someone that they are very, very seriously interested in,” Sheth told GiveMeSport.
“So you’d expect them to go back in and test the resolve of West Ham United with a big bid and see if they can bring someone like him to the football club.
“Would he have improved them previously? Yes, but I think it’s by the by because I don’t think it would have been a realistic option for them to sign him in either of the last two transfer windows.”
Since being promoted to the Hammers’ senior first team in 2017, Rice, who also has 41 England caps to his name, has scored 14 goals and provided 13 assists in 238 games in all competitions.