The summer pursuit of West Ham United star and key England midfielder Declan Rice looks to be narrowing down to a one-club operation after reports suggest that the Hammers captain has his sights set on Premier League runner-up Arsenal.
Club boss Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu Gaspar continue to view the 24-year-old London native as the prime transfer target for the Gunners this summer, with reports earlier today detailing an impending first offer from Arsenal as soon as West Ham’s European campaign comes to a conclusion.
Despite the well-known interest from Arsenal, the club was thought to face stiff competition from not only bitter Premier League rivals Manchester United, but also German juggernaut Bayern Munich, with Thomas Tuchel adamant that he wants to add the midfielder into the senior setup in Bavaria surrounding uncertainty of the futures of both Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich.
🚨Declan Rice to prioritise Premier League move amid interest from Bayern Munich. Arsenal lead the race with an offer around £90m set to go in. Mikel Arteta want club to focus on move for Rice before anything else. Man Utd also interested. https://t.co/2zQ2gI4J62
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) June 1, 2023
Regardless of the possible allure that Bayern can bring to the table Mail Sports’ Sami Mokbel reports that Rice will prioritize a move in the Premier League, ruling Bayern out of the equation for good.
However, this does not mean that the Red Devils are out of the running, with United themselves desperate for quality reinforcements in the summer, especially in midfield after the club decided to not make the loan move of Marcel Sabitzer permanent.
Still, with the Hammers due to face off against Serie A side Fiorentina in five days’ time in the final of the Europa Conference League, Arsenal can expect to make their play for the England international in the immediate aftermath of the result in order to set forth their transfer plans at the earliest possible convenience.
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