Liverpool hero Stan Collymore has claimed that West Ham United captain Declan Rice joining Arsenal doesn't guarantee them to be Premier League title contenders.
Despite few predicting them to be in the title hunt, Mikel Arteta's side led the league for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign. The north London outfit enjoyed a near-perfect first half of the season, accumulating 50 points from their first 19 league fixtures.
However, they struggled in the final few months, finishing on 84 points - five behind eventual champions Manchester City. The task this summer will be to close the gap on City, something that they can do by nailing their recruitment during the transfer window.
Arteta's priority target is Hammers skipper Rice, football.london understands and the Gunners submitted a first bid for the Hammers star last week. football.london understands that the offer was for £80million over six years with a further £10million in add ons, with David Moyes' side dismissing the bid out of hand.
The north Londoners are expected to return with a second bid for the tough-tackling midfielder but a deal for the England international could cost upwards of £100million. But Rice alone isn't enough to make Arteta and Co title contenders again next term, according to Collymore.
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“Declan Rice’s move away from West Ham United is shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest sagas,” he told CaughtOffside. "I am not sure signing Rice automatically makes the Gunners title contenders again.
"He’d certainly improve them, but he won’t turn them into guaranteed challengers; Arteta will need more, and unless he signs others, Rice alone will make Arsenal what they should have been in the season just gone – top-four contenders.”
