Chelsea recently hijacked Arsenal's deal for Mykhalo Mudryk, but they could be about to taste their own medicine
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Arsenal are in charge of the Premier League title race, five points clear of Manchester City in second place with 11 games remaining, and they could be about to receive a major boost in the pursuit of a key target, too.
Despite their convincing 3-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, question marks still remain over the strength in depth of Mikel Arteta's side.
The Spaniard could be about to receive a huge boost to his squad with a major summer transfer target opting for Arsenal over Chelsea, though, the Gunners hijacking any potential deal Chelsea wanted to pull off.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
According to the Guardian, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice wants to compete a higher level - preferably in the Champions League - with Arsenal his most "likely" destination.
The report suggests Rice has been left unconvinced with West Ham this season, as they fight for survival in the Premier League.
Rice has long been touted for a move to Chelsea, with the Englishman having spent time in the academy there as a youngster and due to his relationship with players such as Mason Mount.
However, without the promise of Champions League, or even European football next season, Rice is prepared to snub Chelsea by opting for their London rivals Arsenal. The Blues also currently have an incredibly bloated squad after their host of signings in the past two windows, in which they've spent well over £500 million.
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With his contract due to expire in 2024 - with the club having the option for a further year - West Ham could look to cash in on Rice now, before losing him for considerably money in 6 or 12 months time. The 24-year-old still won't come cheap, with prices higher than £80 million still being touted for his signature.
Should West Ham get relegated, though, that price tag could dramatically fall.
With Arsenal already having Thomas Partey at the base of their midfield and Jorginho for back-up, Rice's role at Arsenal could see him move further forward, competing with the likes of Granit Xhaka for a starting spot in Arteta's team.
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Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
