Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs who are eyeing the possibility of signing Declan Rice in the summer and it is said he would be keen on a move to north London.
Will Rice leave West Ham in the summer?
The future of the England international has been up in the air for a number of months now with the midfielder having reportedly turned down a number of contract offers.
Indeed, it is believed the 24-year-old has snubbed three improved deals to remain at the London Stadium as the club's relegation woes continue into the business end of the campaign.
And reports would suggest the midfielder is not short of potential suitors ahead of the summer window with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea offering him the chance to stay in London.
Whereas, a move up north could potentially be on the table for him with the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United both credited with interest.
However, speaking on the Chasing Green Arrows show, insider Dean Jones has suggested the London-born midfielder would be keen to join the league leaders over the summer:
(31:10) "Declan Rice, obviously the big name they want to check out early in the window to see what the pricing is going to be around that.
"They're not just going to pay whatever it takes to get Declan Rice, but they do want him and he's very interested in going there."
Would Rice be a good fit for Arsenal?
Rice has established himself as one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League over the years and has received a lot of praise in doing so.
ESPN writer David Cartlidge took to Twitter back in 2019 to praise the £60k-per-week ace as an "absolute monster" and that can be seen through his number of interceptions made which has him ranked inside the top fourth percentile (via FBref).
Another midfielder in which the Gunners have been linked with is Moises Caicedo of Brighton & Hove Albion after a failed pursuit of the Ecuadorian in the January window.
In comparison to the Brighton ace (3.07), Rice has provided fewer tackles (2.21) per 90 minutes but he has been able to tackle a higher percentage of opposition dribbles (via FBref).
Mikel Arteta's side will also have to contend with Champions League football next season and will, therefore, be forced to meet a homegrown quota which Rice would contribute towards.
Having also offered more progressive yards per game, it could be argued Rice may provide Arsneal with a more dynamic option to Caicedo who has scored one goal fewer than the Englishman this season (via FBref).
But the money involved is likely to be significant with David Moyes already telling the media that the Irons will be looking for in excess of £100m for their prized asset.
