Arsenal's number one target for the summer transfer window is West Ham United captain Declan Rice, football.london understands.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his midfield options as the Spaniard looks to close the gap on Premier League champions Manchester City, with Rice the priority target. But a deal won't be easy considering the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also shown interest in the England international.
City have also been mooted as a potential destination for the 24-year-old but a recent report from the Telegraph have now claimed that Pep Guardiola's side are likely to keep holding midfielder Kalvin Phillips at the Etihad Stadium this summer, something that would surely rule the Citizens of the running for Rice. Guardiola already has Rodri at his disposal for the no.6 role, with Phillips the Spanish international's deputy.
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If the former Leeds United man does end up staying at the Etihad Stadium, which it is claimed the player wants to, then it seems unlikely that City would want to recruit another deep-lying midfielder like Rice this summer. The Hammers star has made it no secret of his desire to play in the UEFA Champions League, a competition that Arsenal will be playing in next season thanks to their second-placed finish in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
“One hundred per cent I want to play in the Champions League,” he said back in November. “For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that.
“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.
“You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”
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