It is no secret that Arsenal want to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice in this summer's transfer window.
Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his midfield options at the end of the current campaign, football.london understands and Rice is the Spaniard's primary target amid optimism from the Gunners that a deal can be done to bring the 24-year-old to the Emirates Stadium
football.london understands that London rivals Chelsea are also interested in prising Rice away from the Hammers this summer, with the Blues having the advantage when it comes to financial muscle, typically offering more lucrative contracts than Arsenal when looking to recruit new players.
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But Arteta's side have a few advantages of their own when it comes to trying to convince the England international to pick the Emirates Stadium over Stamford Bridge.
First of all, the Gunners have all but secured a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, currently sitting 22 points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle United. Meanwhile, Chelsea sit 10th in the Premier League standings, 11 points behind fourth place, making Champions League qualification unlikely unless they can win this season's competition.
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is into the final 15 months of his contract but football.london reported last month that he has told the club that he wants to stay and the north London outfit are close to securing their star player to a new long-term deal. According to The Daily Mail, the 21-year-old will earn around £300,000-per-week, including bonuses.
While the Gunners' wage bill may not be quite as large as Chelsea's, Saka's proposed new contract certainly will show Rice and other potential targets that they aren't afraid to offer huge salaries to players that deserve it.
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