Arsenal's strong relations with West Ham United put them in an excellent position when it comes to trying to sign Declan Rice this summer, according to transfer guru David Ornstein.
Rice is the north Londoners' priority target for the summer transfer window, football.london understands. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his midfield options and close the gap between his side and Premier League champions Manchester City, who clinched the title over the weekend after Arsenal were defeated 1-0 by Nottingham Forest.
However, they are set to face significant competition for Rice, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all mooted as potential destinations for the 24-year-old. But Ornstein has now reported that the Hammers, who are said to have solid relations with Arsenal, will let their captain leave if the price is right.
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Speaking to NBC Sports, he said: “Declan Rice is the apple of their eye. They went for him in the January window, but they shifted to Moises Caicedo.
"It doesn’t surprise me that they’ve come back for Rice and he’s the focus of their attention now. I think West Ham would trade if the price was right, but that’s a big if.
"Arsenal look to be in a strong position, as far as I know they have good relations with West Ham, but the numbers will be high club-to-club and with the player as well." Meanwhile, the north London outfit are set to lose one of their starting midfielders in the form of Granit Xhaka.
football.london understands that the Swiss captain is set to secure a £13million move to Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka started in the Gunners' aforementioned loss to Forest on Sunday and spoke to football.london after the game.
Asked about his future, the 30-year-old admitted that the Arsenal fan base and the wider world would be made aware of the decision next week. "You will know latest next week, for sure," he said.
Pressed on if it will be before Wolves, he replied: "Yes."
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