At just 24 years old, Declan Rice has already made 41 appearances for the England national team. It’s no surprise that he’s a hot commodity in the transfer market, with Arsenal reportedly growing confident of signing him this summer. However, West Ham is expected to use Chelsea’s January deal for Enzo Fernandez to get a high fee for their star player.
Rice has been unwilling to sign a contract extension with West Ham, and the club is expected to sell him at the end of the season. Arsenal has made Rice their top summer transfer target, but Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with the midfielder.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly a “huge fan” of Rice and has already made plans for where he would fit in his system at Arsenal. However, the Gunners will have to pay a huge fee to bring Rice to the Emirates. The Evening Standard reports that West Ham will use Chelsea’s £106.8m deal to sign Fernandez earlier this year as a price guide.
West Ham is said to be willing to accept an offer of £120m plus add-ons for their star player, who is out of contract in the summer of 2024. Arsenal legend Paul Merson has urged his old club not to overpay for Rice and feels he is worth closer to £60m.
Despite this, former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has backed Arsenal to complete a deal for Rice this summer, insisting the West Ham skipper would be the “perfect fit” for the Gunners. “Mikel would develop him, bring him on even more and he would be massive for the team as well,” Wilshere said.
It remains to be seen where Rice will end up, but one thing is for sure: he’s a talented player who will be in high demand this summer.