Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Arsenal are currently among the "frontrunners" to land midfield transfer target Declan Rice in the summer window.
What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?
While the Gunners will no doubt be primarily focusing on the exploits in the Premier League as they look to win the division as he enter the final 11 games of the campaign, others will still have one eye on the upcoming transfer market.
In fact, it seems the West Ham United captain may even be looking ahead to the end of the season as he dropped a big hint about his future when saying in December that he wants to play Champions League football soon.
This no doubt would have put a number of clubs on high alert and while speaking about the player on the Devils United podcast, Jacobs said Manchester United and Chelsea are both keen on the player but tipped Arsenal to get the deal done if things remain as they are.
He said: "Declan Rice is a player that Manchester United have liked for a while, but Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be the frontrunners.
"And the reason for that is because, a bit like what I said a moment ago, Rice just really likes living in London and has spoken glowingly about Mikel Arteta.
"So I sense that Arsenal are frontrunners, but Chelsea are still very much in that race as well."
Why does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?
As Jacobs alludes to, Rice is understood to be very keen to learn under manager Arteta – with the midfielder said to be a big fan of the Spaniard (via The Guardian).
What's more, the Gunners seem to be in the market for a big new midfielder signing – evidenced by their failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo in the winter – so the West Ham captain may be able to see a clear path for him to claim a spot in the starting XI.
On top of that, the club's superb season now means the prospect of winning major trophies in the near future is a lot more realistic and this will no doubt appeal to Rice who is yet to win any silverware up to this point in his career.
Of course, clubs like Chelsea and Man Utd will also be able to offer him similar incentives, so it's not a done deal just yet. But it does feel as though this transfer is in Arsenal's hands for now.
