Manager suggests there is ‘a good chance’ £90m star leaves for Arsenal

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West Ham United boss David Moyes has accepted that Declan Rice is likely to leave this summer with Premier League challengers Arsenal installing him as their number one transfer target. 

In the aftermath of Thursday’s 2-1 comeback victory over AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, Hammers hero Joe Cole told BT Sport that ‘any team in Europe’ would love to take the ‘outstanding’ Rice away from the London Stadium. 

Whether that’s the case for Manchester City and Real Madrid is up for debate. But Arsenal certainly like him; The Guardian reporting that the £90 million-rated Declan Rice is Mikel Arteta’s top target this summer. 

Granit Xhaka out, Declan Rice in at Arsenal?

The England international wants to play Champions League football. And Arsenal can offer him that after sealing their top four spot last week. A move to the Emirates Stadium would also allow Rice to stay close to home, while linking up with a number of Three Lions team-mates. 

And Moyes, who’s West Ham side took one big step towards their first European final in 50 years yesterday, admits that Rice could be entering his final few weeks in that claret-and-blue shirt. 

“We hope Dec stays,” Moyes tells the BBC ahead of Sunday’s London derby with Brentford. 

“We would love him to be a West Ham player, but we are aware that might not be the case. That is one of the scenarios.

“Our plans are to have Dec here. But we are also fully aware there is a good chance that we won’t have him.”

Rice is one of the most complete, all-round central midfielders in the Premier League, if not the whole of Europe. Few players can boast his ball-winning ability, his ball-carrying prowess, his running power, technical ability and pinpoint distribution. 

Rice, should he arrive, could also spell the end of Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career.

The veteran Swiss is reportedly keen on a return to Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes refusing to rule out a move for the one-time Borussia Monchengladbach enforcer.