Arsenal under-18s hosted West Ham under-18s in the FA Youth Cup final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Declan Rice was spotted in attendance for the match as he watched the young Hammers win 5-1 against the Gunners and lift the trophy for the first time since 1999.
West Ham led 3-1 at half-time in the final after a thrilling first half of action in north London. Unfortunately for Jack Wilshere's side, they were unable to mount a comeback but there remain plenty of promising signs from Arsenal's youngsters moving forward, with many looking to follow a similar path to that of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
football.london reported in January that the Gunners are prioritising a move for Rice this summer as they look to bolster Mikel Arteta's squad ahead of next season. Arsenal will compete in the UEFA Champions League next term and Rice has already admitted he wants to play for a team that plays in Europe's elite competition and challenges for trophies consistently.
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Fans in attendance at the Emirates Stadium spotted Rice amongst the spectators with some suggesting he was getting used to his 'new home' ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. West Ham are expected to demand a fee in the region of £100million for their captain to leave the club despite the 24-year-old only having a year left on his contract this summer.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all been linked with a move for the England international - but Arsenal will be hoping to beat their Premier League rivals to his signature and strengthen their midfield. Gunners' under-18s head coach Wilshere has already tried to help the north London outfit's chances of signing Rice after he sent a tongue-in-cheek message on Instagram to the West Ham United captain earlier this year.
The Hammers secured a 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in February, with Rice netting his first Premier League goal of the season in the process. Wilshere took to social media after the match, commenting "finally" on the midfielder's Instagram post, presumably joking about the England international's lack of goals at that stage of the campaign.
Rice has rejected a number of approaches to sign a new contract at the London Stadium, meaning it is increasingly likely that he leaves the Hammers this summer. Arsenal will hope that he returns to the Emirates Stadium next season and lines up for Arteta's side in the 2023/24 campaign.
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