MX23RW : Tuesday, November 5 23:57:16| >> :120:10130:10130:

Arsenal owners 'approve club-record Declan Rice deal'

Arsenal owners 'approve club-record Declan Rice deal'
© Reuters
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is reportedly willing to fork out a club-record fee to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice this summer.

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is reportedly willing to fork out a club-record fee to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice this summer.

The 24-year-old is expected to leave the London Stadium at the end of the season, with manager David Moyes admitting that there is a "good chance" that he will seek pastures new.

A host of top Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been credited with an interest in Rice, as have German giants Bayern Munich.

However, the Gunners are believed to be the frontrunners for the midfielder's signature, with manager Mikel Arteta identifying the England international as one of his primary targets ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

A recent report claims that Arsenal are readying their first big-money bid for Rice, although they do not intend to approach West Ham until the season draws to a close.

West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their third goal on April 20, 2023© Reuters

Rice is out of contract at the London Stadium at the end of next season, with West Ham possessing the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months, and the East Londoners are said to be holding out for a fee of at least £100m to sanction the sale of their star asset.

According to The Express, West Ham are playing hardball with Arsenal over the sale of Rice and have referenced the British record signing of Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea, who spend around £107.5m on the midfielder in January, as a gauge to their valuation of Rice.

However, the report adds that Arsenal owner Kroenke is lining up a £92m transfer package to recruit Rice, with the American prepared to pay the majority of the club-record fee upfront.

Arsenal's current club-record transfer stands at £72m which they spent in 2019 on winger Nicolas Pepe, who is currently on loan at French club Nice and faces an uncertain future at the Emirates Stadium.

Should the Gunners reach an agreement with the Hammers over a deal for Rice, sporting director Edu would then be tasked with negotiating personal terms with the Englishman, with a five-year deal worth £300,000 per week said to be on the table.

West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates after the match on February 4, 2023© Reuters

Arsenal's move for Rice comes at a time when Granit Xhaka looks increasingly likely to leave the Emirates Stadium, with Bayer Leverkusen allegedly in advanced talks to sign the Switzerland international.

Rice has spent his entire senior career with West Ham, making 243 appearances across all tournaments since his debut in 2017.

The former Chelsea youngster, who replaced Mark Noble as Hammers captain last summer, has scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists for the club, including five strikes and four assists in 48 games so far this season.

Rice found the net in Sunday's 3-1 Premier League home win over Leeds United, which could have been his final match for West Ham at the London Stadium, and the midfielder will be hoping to lead the Hammers to European glory when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on June 7.

West Ham have allegedly identified Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse as a possible replacement for Rice this summer.

ID:514442:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6357:

Declan Rice future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Declan Rice

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their third goal on April 20, 2023
Read Next:
Arsenal 'readying first bid for Declan Rice'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!