Declan Rice has been spotted picking up a signed Arsenal shirt from Martin Odegaard amid rumours he may join the club from West Ham this summer.
Arsenal news, exclusives and analysis
Privacy Policy
The England international midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal and met up with Gunners captain Odegaard after Sunday’s 2-2 draw.
The picture of Odegaard handing Rice a signed shirt went viral with Arsenal fans hoping the club will secure the 24-year-old’s signature at the end of the season.
Arsenal are growing confident of signing Rice despite interest from fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.
The Hammers are expected to sell Rice at the end of the season due to the fact he is unwilling to sign a contract extension at the east London club.
Arsenal have made Rice their top summer transfer target and Mikel Arteta is believed to be a ‘huge fan’ – having already made plans regarding where Rice would fit in his system at the Emirates.
The Gunners are going to have to pay a huge fee sign him, though, with the Evening Standard reporting that West Ham will use Chelsea’s £106.8m deal to sign Enzo Fernandez earlier this year as a price guide.
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has urged his old club not to overpay for Rice and feels he is worth closer to £60m.
Jack Wilshere, meanwhile, has backed Arsenal to complete a deal for Rice this summer, insisting the West Ham skipper would be the ‘perfect fit’.
Andy Carroll has told Rice to join Arsenal instead of Chelsea or United as he told Metro.co.uk: ‘I can’t really see Declan Rice leaving the Premier League.
‘West Ham aren’t doing great at the moment but Declan loves West Ham. I was at the club with him when he was a kid coming through – he is a great guy and a great player.
‘We all know he needs to go to a top club. I can’t see him going outside of England, but he should go to a top-three or top-two club. I’d like to see Declan at Arsenal to be honest.’
MORE : West Ham want Chelsea star to replace Arsenal target Declan Rice
MORE : Man Utd legend tells Declan Rice Liverpool is a better option than Arsenal
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Football News Click Here
