Arsenal have been told that signing Declan Rice could land them with the ‘next Gilberto Silva’ by former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino. The Gunners would take revenge on Chelsea by beating them to the West Ham star, after seeing Mykhaylo Mudryk agonisingly head to Stamford Bridge instead of the Emirates this month.
West Ham are expected to admit defeat at the end of the season on their quest to keep hold of Rice, having involved him as part of the first team for the past six campaigns. The midfielder’s commanding performances have attracted some of the Premier League’s biggest teams, while he has repeatedly refused to sign a new deal at the London Stadium.
Arsenal have emerged as serious contenders to snap him up in the summer and senior figures in north London reportedly feel confident that they can beat Chelsea to the punch. Rice has history with the Blues, having been released from the academy as a teenager, and he still has friends at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners do have a distinct advantage in that they currently sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Rice has made it clear that he wants to test his talent in the biggest games and Chelsea aren’t guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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Snatching Rice from under Chelsea’s nose would be extra sweet for Arsenal after they fell victim to a last-minute transfer hijack this month. Mudryk looked bound for the Emirates and dropped several not-so-subtle hints on social media that his preferred outcome was to pull on the red and white jersey.
However, Chelsea lodged a proposal with preferable payment terms and Shakhtar Donetsk gave the green light, leaving Arsenal out in the cold. Arteta and transfer chief Edu are expected to pursue alternative wide targets before the end of the month, but Mudryk’s £89m price-tag may have driven up fees elsewhere on the market.
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