According to The Times, Arsenal have now made Declan Rice their top target for the summer transfer window.
The Gunners need midfield reinforcements in the summer as the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka begin to contemplate entering the final years of their footballing peaks, and Rice is apparently the player they’ve set their sights on.
In all honesty, this transfer would have sounded utterly ridiculous to suggest just six months ago.
Rice, for the longest time, looked destined for one of England’s so-called ‘elite’ teams with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool linked.
Arsenal, for quite a while, weren’t seen as a part of that echelon of clubs after years of underachievement, but, as this season has shown, the Gunners are very much ready to be a part of the same transfer conversations as the modern English giants.
Factor in that Rice’s stock has dropped since the start of this season as West Ham battle against relegation, and it’s fair to say that a move to Arsenal is rather possible in the summer.
The Gunners clearly have money to spend. After all, they’ve just made club record bids for Mykhaylo Mudryk, and as that move didn’t come off, the cash reserves remain very healthy.
You don’t need us to tell you that Rice has what it takes to play for a club like Arsenal. At his best he’s one of the most commanding midfielders in the Premier League, and his mixture of speed, strength stamina and agility make him one of the most physically unique players in the Premier League – Jack Wilshere has even called him a physical ‘freak’ in the past.
Whether or not this move comes off remains to be seen, but it looks as though the north London club will really push for Rice’s signature at the end of the season.
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