Martin Keown believes that Arsenal will have to rethink their pursuit of Declan Rice - as the West Ham midfielder would cost the Gunners too much money.
Mikel Arteta has overseen a remarkable season and is expected to be handed a significant summer transfer budget after ending Arsenal's six-year exile from the Champions League.
Recent reports have indicated the Spaniard is keen to bolster his midfield options, with Rice emerging as the Gunners' top target. West Ham are resigned to losing their talisman but are likely to demand a British-record transfer fee for his services - meaning the 24-year-old could end up costing in excess of £100million.
And that has left Keown, who clocked up over 300 appearances for the Gunners, convinced that his old club will have to move on to other transfer targets.
“I think Declan Rice is going to be too expensive for Arsenal, quite frankly,” Keown told talkSPORT. “I think he will be too expensive for Liverpool as well who have been in the Champions League now for a number of years.
“He’s a player Arsenal will like but not with those costs involved, I think it’s too much. Looking at Arsenal’s business, I don’t think it’s a route they will go down.
“I don’t think they’ve got the money, even though the Champions League will bring some more revenue. I don’t see him as a player Arsenal can afford to buy.”
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Sky Sports have now claimed that it would take a package worth £120m to convince West Ham to do business this summer, with the Hammers only willing to sell their club captain to a club who can offer Champions League football.
And while the Gunners can once again dangle that carrot to prospective new signings, it remains to be seen if a sum that significant would hamper Arteta's other transfer plans.
Arsenal are keen to bring in defensive reinforcements after seeing their Premier League title dream derailed in the absence of William Saliba, who has been a revelation since being drafted into the first-team fold. Arteta is also after a winger, with Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby one name who is believed to be of interest.
The Gunners are also expected to offload a number of fringe players in a bid to raise further funds for Arteta. The likes of Nicolas Pepe, Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares have all spent the season away from the Emirates on loan and could be sacrificed. Ainsley Maitland-Niles has already confirmed that he will be leaving the club once his current contract expires in the summer. Reiss Nelson could also depart the club after rejecting a contract offer.
