Arsenal have been handed a huge boost towards signing Declan Rice this summer, with Chelsea seemingly out of the race. The 24-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with an exit from the London Stadium for a while now as he continues to impress for West Ham.
Despite the arrival of Jorginho, football.london understand that the Gunners still hold a strong interest in Rice. It's also understood that the Hammers captain remains a key target for Chelsea, where he spent his early years alongside Mason Mount in the academy before he was eventually released at the age of 14.
Rice sees his contract with the east Londoners expire at the end of next season, but it's said that West Ham have the option to extend his stay by a further year. However, the England international has previously voiced his ambition to play in the Champions League and, with David Moyes' side now only capable of securing a Europa League place, a switch could be on the cards.
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He once looked destined to return to Chelsea but, with the Blues missing out on a European qualification spot, Arsenal seem to have the upper hand. In an interview with BoyleSports, Florent Malouda explained why there's no reason for Rice to join the west Londoners anymore.
"When you look at his quality, he’s one of the first names on the England team sheet and delivering every single week with West Ham," said the former Chelsea winger. "This is a player, like Mason Mount, who is yet to reach his full potential. He is used to the Premier League, so he would really not be a huge financial risk.
"Rice needs a lot of game time, so it becomes a question of where do you fit him in? He needs to play every game, he needs to continue to develop and then he can be truly scary.
"Declan knows Chelsea, but he will still be able to develop in terms of his performances because he wants to continue his performances with England and to win trophies, domestically and internationally.
"But what is the difference between Chelsea and West Ham right now? Apart from the wages and the transfer fee, there is not much Chelsea can offer him right now that West Ham can’t. So this brings us back to the project, where we have to try to compete with clubs who have Champions League football and title ambitions."
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