Arsenal have been handed a further reason to complete the £100million signing of West Ham star Declan Rice. The England international is at the top of Mikel Arteta's transfer list this summer ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The Gunners have been tracking the 24-year-old for some time since Rice admitted his desire to play in the UEFA Champions League. football.london understands an opening bid, worth £80million across six years with a potential £10million in add-ons, has already been rejected by the Hammers with a fee closer to £100million expected to be the amount to sanction a deal.
Despite interest from Manchester City, Arsenal are due to return with an improved offer for Rice. Sporting director Edu Gaspar is keen to avoid a bidding war and is hoping to conclude the deal sooner rather than later.
As expected, the north Londoners are interested in numerous alternatives should they fail to lure Rice to the Emirates Stadium. Interest in Moises Caicedo has reportedly cooled but Southampton's Romeo Lavia is also on their radar, with reports suggesting they are progressing in talks to sign the defensive midfielder.
However, Arsenal are in line to miss out on one of their targets in Ilkay Gundogan. The Manchester City captain is set to leave the treble-winners this summer upon the expiry of his contract after seven years at the club.
Both the Gunners and La Liga champions Barcelona are said to be keen on signing the German international, with Pep Guardiola's side also wanting to keep hold of their man.
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Now, with Arsenal pursuing Rice and Lavia, it has been reported that Barcelona have stepped up their interest in the 32-year-old with an improved three-year contract offer.
According to The Athletic, Barca boss Xavi has been in contact with Gundogan and has enlightened the former Borussia Dortmund star of his vision for next season. Yet there are concerns within the Catalonia club over the possibility of a deal being completed, as they are unable to guarantee he will be registered under La Liga rules.
Gundogan's imminent exit from the Etihad Stadium would leave Guardiola short in midfield and give them further reason to make a move for Rice. It's understood City have entered the race to sign Rice in recent days, with Guardiola keen to improve his midfield - even without Gundogan's departure.
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