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Arsenal plotting swoop for West Ham ace Declan Rice

By on November 29, 2022

Declan-Rice

Arsenal are reportedly plotting an ambitious swoop for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, as per the Football.london.

The Gunners are seemingly looking to reinforce their midfield department in the upcoming January window. Mikel Arteta’s side have already been linked with several options, with the Englishman being one of them. However, it is highly unlikely they would be able to broker a deal for the West Ham ace this winter, given the Hammers would not want to lose their star man mid-season.

The midfielder has rejected an offer to sign a new contract with the London club, with the 23-year-old’s current deal set to expire within 18 months plus there is an option to extend the deal for one more year. It is now likely that he would leave the club next summer when West Ham can cash-in while his value is high.

According to the report by Football.london, Arsenal are looking to take advantage of Rice’s current situation by launching an ambitious move for the English international. However, they will have to overcome the challenges of Chelsea and other Premier League rivals to get a deal over the line.

Declan Rice to Arsenal

Speaking to the London is Blue podcast, journalist Matt Law has claimed that West Ham will cash-in at around £70m – which is well below the previous reported asking prices of over £100m that have been suggested.

Signing a new midfielder in January would be a shrewd decision for Arsenal. They lack quality depth in the middle of the park after the first eleven so Arteta desperately needs competition for Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.

However, if the north London club are assured that they will sign Rice next summer then they may wait until the end of the season to strengthen the engine room. In that case, Arteta would be needed to go head-to-head against Manchester City for the Premier League title with a midfield that lacks depth.

Therefore, adding a new midfielder this January – possibly on loan – plus signing Rice next summer would be the ideal scenario for the Emirates outfit.

It will be interesting to see what Arsenal decide to do about their midfield this winter. Declan Rice would be a sensational signing, however, he won’t be available until next summer and Arteta’s side need to add more firepower in midfield this January to make a run for the title.

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