Arsenal would be in a strong position to add West Ham United and England midfielder Declan Rice to Mikel Arteta’s squad at the Emirates Stadium if they were to win the Premier League this season, transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested to GiveMeSport.
The Gunners currently have several midfield targets on their radar during the January transfer window.
Arsenal transfer news – Declan Rice
According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs' column for CaughtOffside, West Ham could sell Rice for £70m-£75m next summer, after having valued their captain at £100m earlier this season.
The same journalist indicates that Arsenal could join the race for the England star’s services a little bit later on down the line, with the club’s likely qualification for the Champions League putting them in a strong negotiating position.
The 24-year-old looks unlikely to extend his £62k-per-week contract beyond its summer 2024 expiry date and the Irons may feel that next summer will be their last chance to get a substantial transfer fee for their talisman.
Jones has recently told GiveMeSport that the Hammers may make one more push to try and secure the former Chelsea academy star’s future at the London Stadium.
And the transfer insider also believes that a move to Arsenal is a definite possibility for Rice, who is desperate to play in the Champions League, as per The Guardian.
What has Jones said about Arsenal and Rice?
When talking about the likelihood of Rice moving to Arsenal this summer, Jones told GiveMeSport: “I do think we should bear in mind from an Arsenal point of view that they are considering their midfield situation and ensuring that they're strong enough in that area to, first of all, get through this season and then to strengthen in the summer.
“So, it's not impossible that they go for Declan Rice and they’ll be in a really strong position if they were to win the league.”
Would Rice be a good signing for Arsenal?
As one of England’s leading midfielders, Rice would likely be an excellent signing for Arsenal and at the age of just 24, he has the potential to be a long-term option in the middle of the park at the Emirates.
The 39-cap England international – who has been dubbed as “untouchable” by West Ham as per Fabrizio Romano - has made 186 Premier League appearances for the Irons, scoring seven goals and providing ten assists from a holding midfield position, according to Transfermarkt.
The London-born star compares favourably to his positional peers, ranking in the top 5% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for pass completion rate per 90 minutes (90.1%) and top 6% for interceptions per 90 (1.87) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.
Therefore, if Edu was able to pull off the signing of Rice during the summer window, Arsenal could potentially have a gem of a signing on their hands.
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