West Ham Provides Response to Arsenal Chief Stan Kroenke Regarding Potential Declan Rice Transfer
Fabrizio Romano suggests that Arsenal will need to be patient in their pursuit of Declan Rice. The talented 24-year-old English player is likely to leave West Ham United during the upcoming summer transfer window, attracting attention from several prominent clubs in the top six.
Despite Arsenal’s strong season under Mikel Arteta, where they were in contention for the Premier League title but ultimately fell short to Manchester City, they are interested in acquiring Declan Rice.
The West Ham favorite is seeking a club that can offer him Champions League football, and Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea are also said to be interested. However, Chelsea’s lack of European football next season may hinder their chances.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal, under the ownership of Stan Kroenke, is currently preparing an official bid for Rice in the upcoming weeks.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, West Ham has informed Kroenke and Arsenal’s transfer decision-makers that they are not willing to engage in negotiations at this time.
Writing in his Caught Offside Substack Daily Column, Romano said: “Declan Rice has always been a top target and he remains their priority. There have been conversations between Arsenal and Rice, while Mikel Arteta and Edu were already discussing him internally back in January.
“Arsenal now plan to prepare an official bid for the West Ham star in the next few weeks, but this won’t be easy because the Hammers are focusing on the Europa Conference League.
“It’s not imminent, because West Ham don’t want to negotiate until June, but it’s been clear since last summer that Rice would not sign a new deal with his current club. Arsenal will be there, it’s their priority, they want to try to bid for him soon.”
The transfer fee is expected to be a significant hurdle in any potential deal for Declan Rice. While he is currently under contract with West Ham United until the summer of 2024 under manager David Moyes, there doesn’t seem to be any indication of him signing a new contract.
Consequently, the East London club is likely to seek financial gain by selling their valuable asset during the upcoming summer transfer window.
It appears that West Ham United, one of the Premier League clubs, is in a strong position regarding the potential sale of a player. While the player in question is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, it is implied that it is Declan Rice due to the context.
West Ham is reportedly demanding a transfer fee exceeding £100 million, potentially surpassing the £106.8 million Chelsea paid Benfica for the acquisition of Enzo Fernandez.
Despite having only 12 months remaining on his current contract, West Ham is determined to maximize their return on Rice’s sale. This suggests that any club interested in signing him will face significant challenges in finalizing a deal.
In the meantime, West Ham’s focus remains on their European campaign. They are set to play AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Holding a slim 2-1 lead from the first leg, West Ham aims to continue their pursuit of European glory under the guidance of manager David Moyes.
West Ham Provides Response to Arsenal Chief Stan Kroenke Regarding Potential Declan Rice Transfer