Arsenal could be ready to pay £80 million to sign Declan Rice this summer, with The Evening Standard reporting that he’s now their top target.
Mikel Arteta landed a new midfielder ahead of yesterday’s deadline after the club brought in Jorginho from Chelsea.
The Gunners had identified Brighton’s Moises Caicedo as their number one January target, but the south coast outfit had no intention of letting him leave.
The Guardian reports that the Hammers star is leaning towards a switch to north London over joining Chelsea in the summer.
And it seems that Arteta’s men are ready to pay a huge fee to land the Englishman after missing out on C
and around £80 million.
But the outlet notes that his price-tag will certainly not discourage Arsenal from trying to sign him.
Rice has been ‘phenomenal’ for West Ham over the past few seasons and he looks set to secure a big move over the summer.
The England international would represent a statement signing from Arsenal, especially if they bring him in after lifting the Premier League title.
While it was a blow for Arteta to miss out on Caicedo, Rice is undoubtedly the superior player at this moment in time. At the age of 24, the Englishman could become a mainstay in Arsenal’s midfield for years to come.
[READ NEXT] Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus posts latest injury update as Mikel Arteta set for headache
Arsenal have received an injury update regarding striker Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has handed Mikel Arteta a fitness boost after the striker posted an encouraging update in relation to his recovery from a knee problem. The Brazilian has not featured since before the World Cup after he was ruled out of the tournament due to his injury, but the £45million signing is edging closer to making his return to action earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old posted an Instagram story of himself walking out onto the grass at London Colney and he was clearly delighted to put his boots back on, posting the caption: “After eight weeks!” with a smiling emoji and prayer hands.
Back in December, Arteta said that Jesus would be ruled out for at least three months as he underwent surgery on his knee. And it appears his recovery is still on track for him to return for the crucial second half of the season as the Gunners compete for the Premier League title.
It will create a headache for the Arsenal boss, however, due to the superb form displayed by Eddie Nketiah of late in Jesus’ absence.
The 23-year-old has stepped into the team to deputise as the central striker and has produced a fine return of seven goals in as many games, including a double in the 3-2 win over Manchester United.
SOURCE: tbrfootball.com, express.co.uk
