Arsenal make Declan Rice top summer target and optimistic of landing

Declan Rice is a West Ham and England midfielder that Arsenal will want to acquire in the summer. They are confident that they can outbid competitors, Chelsea being among them, for his services.

If a deal is completed, Rice would surpass Nicolas Pépé's £72 million transfer record and is Mikel Arteta's top target. It is assumed that the player is willing to consider the prospective move. The West Ham captain, who is 24 years old and has a plethora of both local and international experience, would be the ideal addition for Arteta, who has been looking to improve his midfield options long term. Arteta has explained to Rice how he would fit within his plans.

Chelsea will compete with Arsenal for Rice and could be encouraged by their success in outbidding them for Mykhaylo Mudryk, who on Sunday joined Graham Potter's team from Shakhtar Donetsk despite the fact that it was generally believed he would choose the Emirates. Their influence in the transfer market under Todd Boehly and his consortium is undeniable, and they have a long-standing interest in it. Although they were anticipated to submit a formal proposal, they never did after an enquiry for Rice in August was rejected. Manchester United is likewise anticipated to pay great attention to Rice's circumstance.

Arsenal look to be favourites to finalise a deal at this juncture and, sitting eight points ahead at the top of the Premier League, feel confident of being able to give him Champions League play. Rice is more focused on getting West Ham out of a relegation battle this year since he hasn't encountered that at West Ham.

A long-standing worry has been Arteta's need for elite alternatives to play with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey. In order to maintain their league place, Arsenal still plans to be active in the transfer market this month, but they have no problem waiting until the summer to sign their ideal candidate.