BREAKING! Arsenal will ‘go all in’ for £200k-a-week star at the Emirates

Arsenal ‘will be going all in’ for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the summer transfer window, journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested to GiveMeSport.

The Gunners bolstered their engine room with the acquisition of Jorginho from Chelsea as recently as January but are still believed to be eager to prise Rice away from the London Stadium.

Last month, Football Insider claimed that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Rice after receiving ‘further encouragement’ behind-the-scenes regarding their pursuit.

It’s claimed that Mikel Arteta’s charges are in ‘sustained contact’ with the England international’s representatives and are trying to conclude negotiations before the end of the current campaign.

West Ham are expected to demand between £70 million and £80 million for their prized asset, who has publicly expressed his desire to compete at a higher level.

According to Sky Sports, Rice also rejected an audacious eight-year contract offer worth £200,000-per-week made by the Irons hierarchy last summer.

An imminent exit now looks inevitable for the defensive-minded dynamo, but fellow Premier League giant Chelsea are also believed to have a firm interest in him.

What has O’Rourke said about Rice?

When asked about Arsenal’s pursuit of Rice, O’Rourke told GMS that they will be keen to secure his signature but that they ‘might find themselves priced out’ of a deal.

He said: “I think definitely Arsenal will be going all in for him. It all depends on the valuation that West Ham place on Declan Rice’s head.

“Obviously, Arsenal would love to sign Rice, but there’s a number of clubs who’d love to sign Rice in the summer, but West Ham are pretty steadfast in their desire to get top dollar for him. So, if it gets out of hand, maybe Arsenal might find themselves priced out of it.”

How has Rice played this season?

Rice has played every minute of West Ham’s Premier League campaign to date, registering two goals and two assists in 24 appearances as they continue to battle against relegation.

As per WhoScored, the 6 foot 1 ace has averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, and 0.5 blocks per top-flight fixture, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

And Rice has also been contributing in an attacking sense, averaging 1.3 key passes and 0.8 dribbles, tallies that put him among the top four for both statistics.

Despite West Ham’s struggles, Rice has been a consistently solid performer once again, highlighting exactly why Arsenal and sporting director Edu want to make him a part of Arteta’s side.