As per The Guardian, Declan Rice is favouring a move towards Arsenal this summer because of the prospect of playing under Mikel Arteta, who has drawn up plans for where the West Ham captain would fit into his team.
It’s been previously reported Arsenal have made the 24-year-old their number one target come next season & becoming increasingly confident of beating Chelsea to his signature. The midfielder has said in the past he wants to be playing Champions League football & fighting at the top for the biggest trophies in the country.
Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League table, where as Chelsea are languishing in mid-table.
The Arsenal boss is a huge fan of Rice, who is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe, and Arsenal are emerging as favourites to buy him.
With Manchester United recently signing Casemiro, it’s very unlikely they’ll make a move for the England international.
West Ham will hope to fetch more than £100m for Rice, which would make him the most expensive British player. However, the England international’s contract runs until the summer of 2024, with the option of an additional year, and that could force West Ham to settle for a fee in the region of £80m, as per The Guardian.
The prospect of moving to the Emirates Stadium and working under Arteta appeals to Rice. He has seen Arteta turn Arsenal into title contenders this season and would be confident of the Spaniard’s coaching making him a better midfielder.
The addition of a central midfielder this summer will be a priority for Arsenal. Arteta believes that Rice would provide elite competition for Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
