Aheed Abrar
Arsenal ‘closing in’ on Manchester United target and West Ham United captain Declan Rice
Premier League rivals Arsenal are ‘closing in’ on signing Manchester United target and West Ham United captain Declan Rice, according to The Guardian (h/t Manchester Evening News).
The Red Devils have been eyeing the England international to bolster the engine room ahead of the upcoming transfer window. But it is the Gunners who have been leading the race for the midfielder.
To that end, the North London side have almost reached a consensus with the Hammers. Mikel Arteta’s team are expected to pay £100 million, including add-ons, for the 24-year-old.
Rice was in the Chelsea academy before moving to West Ham and making his way through the youth ranks at the London Stadium side. Subsequently, over the last few years, the English national has established himself as one of the best enforcers in the English top flight.
Gareth Southgate has also shown faith in the Hammers’ captain. The 24-year-old recently lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League title as David Moyes’ team beat Fiorentina in the final.
Arsenal gave Manchester City a tough fight for the PL title in the 2022/23 campaign. However, the Gunners fell short in the end. Their midfield mostly consisted of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka partnering up in the double pivot last season.
As for United, Erik ten Hag was handed the services of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer. The Brazilian and Danish national have been pivotal to the Dutch manager’s success at the Old Trafford side.
Unfortunately, without the former Real Madrid star in our team, we struggled to get positive results in the previous campaign. Scott McTominay and Fred have been inconsistent at the Red Devils over the years.
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Therefore, we could evidently do with some cover for Casemiro. But it would be a surprise to see a player of Rice’s quality opt to be a backup. Therefore, it makes sense for the English national to join Arsenal this summer.
