Declan Rice has been urged by former West Ham goalkeeper David James to make a transfer switch outside of the Premier League this summer. It would see the England international snub a move to either of Arsenal or Manchester United, who have been heavily linked.
football.london understands that Rice is a priority for the Gunners in the upcoming transfer window as Mikel Arteta looks to revamp his midfield ranks. There appears to be a difference in valuation at this stage though, with the north London outfit hoping to secure a deal for roughly £90million.
In comparison, West Ham have set their own valuation at £120million, leaving a £30million gap for negotiations to narrow down, with just 12-months remaining on his contract. If Arsenal can't iron out the details, then United or Bayern could well swoop in to secure a move.
READ MORE: Arsenal face £30m stumbling block in Declan Rice transfer amid Man Utd and Bayern Munich links
For James though, it would be better off if Rice made the move away from the Premier League while the option is still there. He told King Casino Bonus: "Personally, I would love to see him play abroad for two reasons. The first, from a selfish point of view, is that I wouldn’t have to see him playing against West Ham!
"He’d undoubtedly cause them all sorts of problems as well, because he is such a solid professional and would take the emotion out of it. But secondly, for him personally, he would gain so much experience from playing abroad.
"He could experience football in the same way I did when I was very late in my career; experiencing a new culture, becoming a more rounded player. You look at the success of Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, there is no reason why Rice couldn’t follow suit and go and become a legend with a foreign club, before returning to the UK as a much more developed player. I think we would all be able to enjoy Declan Rice on another level."
It remains to be seen whether Rice will lean towards staying in England or moving towards a new challenge in another league. However, the Gunners will be hoping it's the former in their attempt to tempt the 24-year-old towards their project for the future ahead.
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