Arsenal Close In on Record £92m Declan Rice Acquisition, West Ham Eye Replacements

As the dust from a bustling football season begins to settle, London is abuzz with transfer talk. One such transfer rumour causing a stir revolves around Declan Rice, the West Ham captain who is the subject of Arsenal’s £92 million record-breaking transfer interest. Although Bayern Munich and Manchester United are hovering in the background, The Telegraph reports that Arsenal are setting the pace in the race for Rice’s signature.

West Ham Board Gives Blessing for Rice’s Departure

David Sullivan, the Chairman of West Ham, has confirmed that Declan Rice has the board’s blessing to exit the club. Following the euphoria of their Europa Conference League victory, talks with Arsenal have taken on a more serious tone. In an interview with talkSPORT, Sullivan said:

“I think it has to be. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going.”

With Rice’s potential departure, West Ham has its eyes on several targets to bolster the squad. Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes is firmly in their sights, as are midfielders James Ward-Prowse from Southampton and Edson Alvarez of Ajax. Despite the potential competition from Borussia Dortmund for Alvarez, West Ham appears confident of landing at least one of their targets.

Arsenal’s Priority: Securing Rice

The focus at Arsenal is undeniably securing Declan Rice’s signature. The 24-year-old’s splendid performance in leading West Ham to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Fiorentina has only heightened their interest. Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu view Rice as a crucial piece of the puzzle for the north London side as they seek to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.

In the event that Arsenal is successful in signing Rice, this could facilitate Granit Xhaka’s expected move to Bayer Leverkusen for a deal around £13m.

If Arsenal pull off the Rice acquisition, it will make him the priciest player in their history, even surpassing the £72m record set by Nicolas Pepe in the summer of 2019. This is indeed a significant investment and a statement of intent from Arsenal.

When asked if Rice had played his last game for West Ham, Sullivan responded:

“You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement – or several replacements. It’s not something we want to happen.”

Rice himself remains non-committal about his future. Following the Europa Conference League victory.

Declan Rice: “At the moment there’s a lot of speculation going on about my future. Obviously there is interest from other clubs but ultimately I still have two years left at West Ham.”

The void left by Rice’s potential departure from West Ham necessitates a multi-pronged approach to replacement. Leicester’s Harvey Barnes, valued at around £40m, is a prime target, but the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are also interested.

James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez are also on West Ham’s radar. Ward-Prowse, with his goal-scoring ability and leadership qualities, and Alvarez, with his defensive mindset, are being viewed as the combined solution to replace Rice’s influence in the team.

The future of Declan Rice remains the centre of interest as Arsenal, West Ham, and interested onlookers wait for the next move in this £92 million chess game. It’s going to be a thrilling transfer window. Stay tuned for more updates.