West Ham star Declan Rice decides his next move amid Arsenal interest

Arsenal have made it no secret that they want to sign the West Ham United and England star Declan Rice. Having just competed in a heated contest with the club, fans got a glimpse of exactly what Rice can provide, although in hindsight, the Gunners would have wished for a worse display from their summer transfer target.

But from the Declan Rice camp, things have remained respectful. He certainly loves West Ham as a club so he hasn’t outwardly stated his desire to leave until now. According to talkSPORT, the Hammer has indicated that he would prefer a move to Arsenal, this is amid growing Newcastle United interest.

This should come as no surprise, really. Although Newcastle are achieving great things, they are not near the calibre of Arsenal, as demonstrated by the Premier League table. With Mikel Arteta at the helm and an emphasis on promoting young players, the club will be much more respected in the long-run, particularly when you take into account the financial takeover at Newcastle.

Rice is a phenomenal player, so it won’t just be Newcastle and Arsenal who fight for his signature. Indeed, Liverpool have shown a growing interest in him recently. For Arsenal, though, they’ll be safe in the knowledge that he desires a move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners lack midfield depth. This has been their downfall in recent games, with teams such as Liverpool and West Ham sussing out their midfield strategy and combatting it, leaving Arsenal with just Jorginho and Fabio Vieira on the bench from a midfield standpoint, both of those failing to add a new dynamic to what is already on the pitch.

Rice won’t arrive as a bench-warmer, that’s for sure. He wants game time and has the talent to break into the Gunners midfield. Who he replaces in the starting eleven remains to be seen, but a layer of healthy competition will be encouraged by Arteta.

Do you think Arsenal will sign Declan Rice in January?