Arsenal reportedly already have a plan in place to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice in the summer, with the Gunners missing out on their top midfield target, Moises Caicedo, in January.
According to journalist Dean Jones, the north London club are ready to go big in the summer to sign a world-class midfielder with the potential to replace the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in the years to come, with Rice being identified early as their main target.
With a reported asking price of £100m, the England international would be quite the statement signing for Arsenal given how sought-after the West Ham midfielder is. However, the Gunners seem to already have the wheels in motion over a potential transfer in the coming months.
Jones said about Arsenal’s plan: “The Declan Rice interest is very serious, I’m told. I was very doubtful about the authenticity of that rumour at first but I’ve checked it out several times with different sources and they are definitely going to have a crack at signing him.”
With Arsenal on course for a return to the UEFA Champions League, signing Rice would be an incredible move from the north London club given how perfect the West Ham skipper is for Mikel Arteta’s side. And laying down early groundwork over a transfer is an encouraging sign for supporters.
Indeed, the summer is already shaping up to be a huge one for Arsenal, where an influx of money from Champions League qualification and potentially winning the Premier League could see the north London side spend heavily in the off-season, and Rice has to be a prime midfield target.
Rice should be one of two midfielders Arsenal sign in the summer
With Arsenal missing out on Caicedo this January, it makes sense that the Gunners will go even bigger and better in the summer when more money is available to spend with the lure of Champions League football also on the table. And as a result, signing more than just Rice has to be considered.
After all, Arsenal realistically have to find two long-term replacements for Partey and Xhaka, and in Rice, the England international could be the new defensive midfielder for the Gunners for many years to come, though Arteta will need more if he is to take the north London side to another new level.
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