Romano claims Arsenal have held positive talks to sign ‘exceptional’ player

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Arsenal have held positive talks in their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice over the last few days.

Arsenal are pushing to sign Declan Rice and positive talks have now been held over a deal for the West Ham United star.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims that Arsenal are entering the ‘crucial stages’ of their pursuit of Rice.

Romano claims that Arsenal are now expected to launch an official bid ‘very soon’ having held ‘positive talks’ in the last few days.

Bayern Munich may well be keen too but Arsenal believe they are ahead of the Bundesliga champions in the race for Rice’s signature.

West Ham would love to keep Rice but it looks like he will be leaving very soon.

Hammers chairman David Sullivan has told TalkSPORT that Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina would probably be Rice’s last game for the club.

Going out with a trophy win feels like the perfect ending for Rice, but Arsenal will have to dig deep for a deal.

Arsenal face enormous outlay for Declan Rice

The Telegraph claimed just a few days ago that Arsenal are putting together a structured deal for Rice worth around £92million.

Arsenal were never likely to pay that kind of money in one go, but just how the deal is structured will be key.

There have even been mentions of a part-exchange deal.

The Sun claimed over the weekend that West Ham would like to take Arsenal playmaker Emile Smith Rowe in a swap deal.

That seems unlikely, but it means that Arsenal will have to come up with a huge offer for the England international.

Granit Xhaka looks set to leave Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen, so Rice could come in to take his role in the Arsenal midfield.

Rice – hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Pep Guardiola – has shown that he is far more than just a defensive midfielder, with his ball-carrying ability developing in the last couple of years.

Arsenal are banking on that attribute getting even better in the coming years, and we could see Rice become a leader for the Gunners – if they can tempt West Ham into a deal.