Reports suggest that Declan Rice, the West Ham midfielder, is set to leave the club at the end of the season. Arsenal is believed to be the current favourite to sign Rice, with the club preparing to submit a club record £92m opening bid. However, Bayern Munich has also entered the race to sign Rice and has reportedly held talks with the player’s representatives. Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel is said to be a huge fan of Rice, while the club’s hierarchy views him as “the perfect defensive midfielder” for the club. Despite this, Arsenal remains confident of signing Rice, despite interest from fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea. West Ham believes that they may be able to generate a higher fee for Rice if he moves to Old Trafford instead. Arsenal legend Paul Merson has urged his old club not to overpay for Rice and feels he is worth closer to £60m.
