Arsenal's intense pursuit of Declan Rice could be scuppered following the release of their latest company accounts.
The future of the West Ham star has been the subject of prolonged speculation, with a move to the Emirates widely reported to be his favoured choice. And after captaining the Hammers to Europa Conference League glory on Wednesday night, Rice seemingly enjoyed a fitting farewell with club fans as he celebrated a first major honour.
Indeed, owner David Sullivan has since confirmed that the England international would be allowed to move on this summer, revealing he'd previously rejected a lucrative contract extension. And any deal for the 24-year-old is expected to reel in over £80 million for the London club.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also tracking Rice, and may now be alerted by a new development. Despite Mikel Arteta being promised reinforcements amid a return to the Champions League next season, the proposed figures involved could now prove a stumbling block.
A report in The Times has claimed the north London club owe about £150 million on past transfer deals, following the release of the accounts. And the exact figure is likely to be higher, as it will additionally include deals done in the past two transfer windows.
The debts could affect the amount that Arteta has at his disposal to spend before the 2023/34 campaign, with the second placed Premier League finish last season an undoubted boost to funds. But it's not just Rice in his sight, with the Spanish boss initially targeting a strong of new signings.
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The club have also reportedly agreed personal terms with Brighton star Moises Caicedo, but face stiff competition from Chelsea for his signature. The Gunners have also been linked with Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is out of contract next month.
As for Rice, he's remained tight lipped on his next destination : "It's not goodbye yet, there's loads of speculation about my future and there is interest from other clubs, but look, nothing's happened. I'm a West Ham player, I've still got two years left on my contract," he told BT Sport after the final.
"I love every minute of playing for this club and captaining this club, you can see the smile on my face. It's not about that tonight, it's about us celebrating. Let's wait and see what happens."
