Arsenal’s efforts to secure the ambitious transfer of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice may reportedly have been dealt an early blow.
The England international is widely expected to leave West Ham this summer, but it seems the Hammers are in no hurry to enter into negotiations over his departure, whilst also setting an early valuation of £120million, according to the Evening Standard.
David Moyes’ side potentially have a Europa Conference League final ahead of them, and don’t want any talks over Rice to distract from what could be a memorable end to the season.
This is far from ideal for Arsenal, who seem keen to get the ball rolling quickly and replicate the fast and smart work they did in the transfer window last summer.
The Gunners did well to bring in the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, with these signings helping turn them into genuine title contenders, with only a late collapse in form allowing Manchester City to overtake them.
If Arsenal can move quickly for a top talent like Rice this summer, it could be a real game-changer for them next season, so they’ll surely hope West Ham don’t prove too difficult to negotiate with in the weeks and months ahead.