Manchester United are prepared to compete with Arsenal for the signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice in the summer transfer window. The Gunners are prioritising a move for the England international ahead of next season with Mikel Arteta keen on bolstering his squad before making a return to the Champions League, football.london understands.
football.london understands that Arsenal are confident they have a strong offer for Rice but feel that it will ultimately come down to the player to decide amid interest from a host of other elite European sides, including Bayern Munich and United. The north London outfit are keen to avoid a bidding war and they’ve demonstrated in the past that they are willing to walk away from priority targets like Lisandro Martinez and Mykhailo Mudryk - who eventually joined United and Chelsea respectively.
Arsenal are preparing an official offer for Rice, but they want to be respectful to the Hammers, who take on Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final tonight. The 24-year-old is expected to leave the club ahead of next season and will be hoping to cement himself in West Ham history by lifting the Europa Conference League trophy.
The England international has rejected numerous approaches from the Hammers regarding signing a new contract at the London Stadium in the last 12 months. Rice's contract is set to expire next summer - but West Ham do have the option to extend his deal by a further year.
Rice has made it no secret of his desire to play in the UEFA Champions League sooner rather than later, a boost to the Gunners considering they have qualified for Europe's elite competition for the first time since 2016. The West Ham captain was also full of praise for the north Londoners after the two sides met last season and is said to be settled in London, handing Arsenal a key advantage over United.
Erik ten Hag had identified Rice and Mason Mount as two key targets he wants to sign and reinforce his midfield options ahead of next season. United qualified for the Champions League last term after finishing inside the Premier League top four, with the Manchester outfit now having requested to be kept informed on developments over the future of the West Ham star.
READ MORE: Arsenal deliver clear Declan Rice transfer stance amid Bayern Munich and Man Utd battle
Reports have suggested that Arsenal will begin negotiations with the Hammers over a deal to sign Rice following their Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. Arteta is keen to get his transfer business completed swiftly ahead of pre-season training with the Gunners hoping to continue their upwards trajectory.
Arsenal value Rice at around £90million and will table their opening bid in the coming weeks with the summer transfer window set to officially open next week. West Ham are looking to receive a fee in the region of £120million for the 24-year-old despite David Moyes being resigned to losing his most-important player this summer.
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