Alan Smith thinks Declan Rice will sign for Arsenal this summer

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith thinks that Declan Rice will choose to sign for Arsenal this summer with him expected to leave West Ham this summer.

Rice has been touted for a move away from West Ham, with the £120million-rated man linked most prominently with Arsenal.

The Gunners’ league exploits this season have seen them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in six years and they have also been linked with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Ilkay Gundogan, per David Ornstein.

Speaking on Sky Sports recently, Smith – who scored 115 goals for Arsenal between 1987 and 1995 – believes that Rice will choose to sign for the Gunners due to his London roots.

“I think maybe that he would prefer to stay in the Premier League for a bit.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world. It is where most players these days want to be. So, I would imagine he’d want to play for one of the big clubs. He’s a London lad, so a move to Arsenal wouldn’t be too turbulent for him! It would be easy, I think.”

A certain German giant has also been linked with Rice lately, but Smith remained true to his opinion despite the benefits of a move abroad.

“Bayern obviously have money to spend, they can offer him a very nice package. So it would be up to him. Moving abroad isn’t for every player, as we’ve seen. Some really embrace it. Others aren’t so comfortable.

“I would hazard a guess that he would prefer to stay in this country.”

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Ahead of the summer window, Rice certainly isn’t short of options, so it’ll be very interesting who comes out on top in the race for his signature.