The World Cup may be in full flow but that doesn’t mean the transfer links stop doing the rounds, if anything, it makes them more frequent.
With January just around the corner, Mikel Arteta will have the opportunity to strengthen his Arsenal team as he looks to maintain their fine start to the Premier League season.
The Gunners sit top of the table with a five-point lead ahead of current champions Manchester City after fourteen games, handing them a huge top four boost.
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Arsenal came just one win away from returning to the Champions League stage last season, but a dip in form saw their hopes quickly diminish. Fast forward to today and they are being viewed as genuine title contenders alongside City.
It’s believed that midfield is one of the positions Arteta would like to bolster this winter if possible, with Palmeiras talent Danilo continuing to be heavily linked, however, he could be joined by a more established option in the future.
That’s because Arsenal along with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all interested in Declan Rice and are expected to make moves to sign him, according to Simon Phillips.
The Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law has also claimed that Rice is likely to leave West Ham in the summer, with two unnamed Premier League clubs already making ‘big plays’ to secure his services. It’s added that the Hammers could reluctantly accept offers in the region of £70million if the midfielder does not extend his current deal, which runs until 2024.
Rice is currently at the World Cup in Qatar with the England national team and speaking to the Media ahead of Sunday’s match against Senegal, the 23-year-old outlined his desire to play in the Champions League.
“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing,” he said. “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.”
At times, Arsenal can lack quality and depth in central midfield depending on availability, so there’s little doubt that they require more support in the position.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal go all out for a player of Rice’s stature in midfield, although the injury struggles with Thomas Partey and inconsistencies of Sambi Lokonga could play a part in their decision.
If Arteta does indeed lead the Gunners back into the Champions League, then he along with sporting director Edu will know that the level of the Arsenal squad will need to be raised even further following the additions of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira in the summer.
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