Arsenal: Latest Rice transfer update

Arsenal are leading the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the summer transfer window, according to the latest report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Rice on the move?

It appears as though Rice will be on the move this summer, given that West Ham appear to have made no progress in talks to extend his contract beyond 2024, meaning the upcoming window could be their last big opportunity to cash in on the midfielder.

There are no shortage of top Premier League clubs eyeing moves for the Englishman, with it recently being reported that Chelsea have a good chance of signing him, while Manchester United are also said to be in the race.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently confirmed that the Gunners ‘really appreciate’ the West Ham captain, and they will be even more impressed after his performance from England on Thursday night, scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 victory against Italy.

The Latest: Arsenal in pole position

According to a report from Football Insider, Arsenal are leading the race to sign the central midfielder in the summer, and they could hold one key advantage over Man United in the battle for his signature.

The 24-year-old is keen to remain in London beyond the summer, while his ambition to play in the Champions League could sway him to pick the Gunners over Chelsea, given that the Blues are not currently on course to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.

Chelsea are still pursuing a deal for their former youth player, however Arsenal are currently leading the race.

The Verdict: Make it happen

The England international is likely to set any suitor back a lot of money, given that Man United had a £100m bid rejected last summer, however he would be a real statement signing for Mikel Arteta‘s side.

Teddy Sheringham recently hailed the maestro in the wake of his performance for England against Italy, saying: “If you add a couple of goals to Declan’s game, not a couple but six or seven, with what he’s got at the moment, you’re talking about an absolute world beater of a player.

“He can go anywhere, wherever he goes he’s going to make that team a better team.”

It is hard to disagree, given just how well he has performed for the Hammers over the past year, ranking in the 91st percentile for his pass completion rate and the 96th for interceptions per 90, when compared to other top midfielders.

As alluded to by Sheringham, the one aspect of the £60k-per-week earner’s game that is perhaps lacking is his goal-scoring, netting just twice in the Premier League this season, but he showed a good eye for goal against Italy on Thursday, on a night where he was rated by Sofascore as the Three Lions’ best-performing player.

Rice would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s squad in the summer window, capable of taking Arsenal to the next level as they look to establish themselves as Champions League regulars once again.