£80m ‘Rolls Royce’ now ‘seriously wanted’ at the Emirates

Arsenal are “seriously” interested in making a move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice at the Emirates Stadium this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested to GiveMeSport.

Mikel Arteta and Edu are looking to add the Irons captain to the Gunners’ squad ahead of next season.

Arsenal transfer news – Declan Rice

According to a report from The Times last month, Arsenal have made Rice their top target for the summer transfer window and are optimistic that a deal worth £80m could be reached with West Ham.

The 24-year-old’s £60,000 per-week contract expires at the London Stadium in the summer of 2024 and with the midfielder unlikely to sign an extension with the east London outfit, the Hammers may feel they will be forced into a sale in 2023.

Journalist Simon Phillips has recently told GiveMeSport that Chelsea will be in the race to sign the London-born star during the transfer window later this year, suggesting that the Gunners don’t necessarily have a free hit at the England midfielder.

But Jones has suggested that Rice is “seriously wanted” by Arsenal and that the West Ham star has a “decision to make” come the end of the season.

What has Jones said about Arsenal and Rice?

Jones told GiveMeSport: “Declan Rice is seriously wanted by Arsenal. He has still got a decision to make at the end of the season. It will be made on what level of ambition the clubs that are trying to sign him have. It’ll depend on the financial package, what his path is into the team and what his role will be within that team.”

Would Rice be a good signing for Arsenal?

Rice – who has been described as a “Rolls Royce” of a footballer by journalist Joshua Mbu – would likely be an excellent signing for Arsenal, having proven his worth as a top-class Premier League midfielder over the past four years.

The 39-cap England international has made 188 Premier League appearances across his career, hitting the back of the net seven times whilst providing ten assists.

The West Ham skipper’s displays in the top flight this campaign have earned him an average WhoScored rating of 6.94, giving him the title of the club’s best-performing player at this moment in time, suggesting that he is ready to make the step up to a big six club.

The 6 foot 1 star compares favourably to his positional peers in some aspects of his game, ranking in the top 7% of midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for pass success rate (89.6%) and the top 6% for interceptions per 90 minutes (1.84) over the last 365 days, according to FBref.

Therefore, it would seem on the face of it that Rice would prove to be a failsafe signing who is already adept at playing in the Premier League, something which will hugely attract both Arteta and Edu.

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