Mikel Arteta wants to hold talks with Declan Rice as soon as the season ends.
The Arsenal boss is increasingly confident he can land the West Ham midfielder despite the Gunners’ faltering title bid.
Rice’s contract runs until next summer with the option of another a year and he has rejected offers of a new deal.
The England international, 24, who has 41 caps, is keen to stay in London and is interested in a switch to the Emirates.
Arsenal’s coach Arteta, who used to play in midfield himself, believes he can help convince £100million-rated Rice to join.
He will urge Arsenal to make an official approach once the season has ended to try to tee up a huge transfer when the window opens in June.
Arsenal have cash to spend this summer after failing to seal big-money deals for Moises Caicedo and Mykhaylo Mudryk in January.
Mudryk opted for Chelsea while Brighton ’s Ecuador international Caicedo ended up signing a new contract at Albion.
But now Arsenal are an even more attractive destination after qualifying for next season's Champions League, ending a six-year absence.
Rice admitted on England duty he craves Champions League football.
He said: "One hundred per cent I want to play in the Champions League. For the last two or three years, I've been saying that.
"I've been playing consistently well for my club, and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.
"You only get one career, and at the end, you want to look back at what you've won and the biggest games you've played in."
Despite West Ham’s struggles near the relegation zone, Rice has again been in decent form with three goals and two assists in 33 appearances.
He has also been instrumental in the Hammers’ run to the last four of the Europa Conference League.
West Ham head of recruitment Rob Newman is believed to have watched Eintracht Frankfurt’s Swiss midfielder Djibril Sow as a potential replacement for Rice at the recent Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund.
