ALMOST SEALED: 24-Year-Old Star Man Wants to Play For Arsenal Ahead of £100 million Summer Swoop

Arsenal are ‘really interested’ in West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as they eye a summer swoop for the 24-year-old, Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has informed GIVEMESPORT.

The Gunners are firmly in the hunt for the Premier League title this season, sitting top of the Premier League table with a five-point advantage over Manchester City.

Arsenal Transfer News – Declan Rice

Lately, Catalan newspaper El Nacional has reported that West Ham star Rice has ‘given his word’ to Arsenal to become one of their summer acquisitions, with Mikel Arteta looking for some new faces to strengthen his squad further.

Interestingly, Rice is said to be on Real Madrid’s ‘agenda’ come the summer, though the report claims there is ‘no chance’ that he will swap the London Stadium for the Santiago Bernabeu.

Speculation over the England international’s future has swirled for months, with The Guardian detailing earlier this month that Chelsea and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the midfielder.

West Ham are aiming to accumulate more than £100 million in any potential deal, which could make him the most expensive British player of all time if an exit is sanctioned by the Hammers.

On the other hand, his contract in east London runs until 2024, meaning his current employers may have to settle for a fee closer to £80 million to part ways with Rice.

What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Declan Rice?

Sky Sports journalist Sheth has said that Arsenal are ‘really interested’ in signing Declan Rice. He also stated that the battle for elite midfielders amongst top European clubs would be exciting to watch unfold in the summer.

Sheth told GMS: “I think in the summer there will be more options and I think the elite midfielder is going to be a huge topic. You’ve got the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; you’ve got Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham.

“I think Arsenal are really, really interested in Declan Rice and I think that will be a huge topic come the summer.”

What are Declan Rice’s stats this season for West Ham?

Rice has enjoyed another strong campaign for West Ham in the heart of their midfield, despite their ongoing battle against relegation with David Moyes at the helm.

In 26 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions, the Englishman has recorded one goal and four assists, as per Transfermarkt. WhoScored also notes that Rice has maintained a pass success rate of 90.5% for club and country this term, showing his ability to recycle the ball on a regular basis purposefully.

It comes as little surprise to see Rice linked with so many top sides as they look to get ahead of the game when it comes to acquiring premium midfield talent.

Arsenal will hope that they can convince the 24-year-old to commit his future to the club for the long-term, with boss Arteta looking to regularly compete for silverware in both domestic and European competitions moving forward.