Manchester United are prepared to compete with Arsenal for the signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice in the summer transfer window. The Gunners are prioritising a move for the England international ahead of next season with Mikel Arteta keen on bolstering his squad before making a return to the Champions League, football.london understands.
football.london understands that Arsenal are confident they have a strong offer for Rice but feel that it will ultimately come down to the player to decide amid interest from a host of other elite European sides, including Bayern Munich and United. The north London outfit are keen to avoid a bidding war and they’ve demonstrated in the past that they are willing to walk away from priority targets like Lisandro Martinez and Mykhailo Mudryk - who eventually joined United and Chelsea respectively.
Arsenal are preparing an official offer for Rice, but they want to be respectful to the Hammers, who take on Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final tonight. The 24-year-old is expected to leave the club ahead of next season and will be hoping to cement himself in West Ham history by lifting the Europa Conference League trophy.
