Sam Stone

Tue 31 January 2023 20:30, UK

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed Arsenal will be “in” for Declan Rice in the summer as speculation continues to grow over the West Ham captain.

The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg claimed (22 January) that Rice prefers a move to The Emirates as opposed to Chelsea.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for the Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and Sheth has suggested Mikel Arteta will also be looking to land the West Ham star in the summer.

“I am told Brighton were not going to sell Moises Caicedo in this transfer window, this will then fast forward into the summer if he doesn’t sign a new contract, we are going to have another saga again,” said Sheth (Sky Sports News, 31 January).

“Caicedo and Rice, Arsenal are in for both of those we think in the summer.”

Inevitable

Rice’s departure from the London Stadium now looks inevitable. The England international is destined to be playing Champions League football and a move to Arsenal does seem to be a good one for the 24-year-old. He’s at a stage in his career where he needs to be playing at the highest level, and sadly he hasn’t been able to fulfil those ambitions at the London Stadium.

For now, it’s essential Rice sticks to his duties as a West Ham player and doesn’t look to force his way out of the club. His contract is running down and it’s clear a bid from one of the Premier League’s big six will soon arrive. This summer looks like the most sensible time for Rice to move on, with the Hammers still able to recoup a big fee.

The board must get their valuation of the midfielder right. He’s invaluable to West Ham, but ultimately every player has their price, and if he isn’t going to sign a new deal, keeping an unhappy player wouldn’t be the smartest move.