It’s only been a week since West Ham won the Europa Conference League, but Arsenal have wasted no time in testing the Hammers resolve in keeping hold of their captain, Declan Rice.
The east Londoners chairman, David Sullivan, had intimated that his talisman would move elsewhere in an interview with talkSPORT (h/t The Athletic – subscription required), and now David Ornstein has reported in The Athletic (subscription required) that Arsenal have delivered their first bid for the player.
Whilst the amount of that offer hasn’t been disclosed and negotiations are sure to continue, there’s a potential spanner in the works as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned, and that comes in the shape of his former boss, Pep Guardiola.
The outlet also note that Man City are actively exploring a way in which they can tempt the England international to move north.
Given they are recent treble winners with a squad full of superstars, the cachet is obvious, and the Gunners will surely be mindful of the way in which they lost out on Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea.
It’s believed that Rice would prefer a move to North London, and even if Arteta’s project isn’t as far forward as Guardiola’s, it does give the 24-year-old the chance to grow within that team dynamic and, importantly, means he doesn’t have to uproot and move out of the capital.
One to watch.