Declan Rice has claimed he wants to stay with West Ham United amid reports linking him to the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
The England international is the Gunners' priority target for the summer transfer window, football.london understands as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Following the Hammers' UEFA Europa Conference League triumph last week, chairman David Sullivan admitted that Rice had likely played his last game in a claret and blue shirt.
When asked if the win against Fiorentina was Rice's final game for the club, Sullivan told TalkSPORT: "I think it has to be. We promised him he could go.
"He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements.
"It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It's cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages).
"And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
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But a viral video has since done the rounds of Rice downplaying talk of a summer exit. When asked by a young supporter where he would like to go, the 24-year-old replied: "Nowhere, I'm West Ham."
"I don't, West Ham is my one," he replied when quizzed again. The video was posted by TikTok user Virajplays4, who claims that the clip was filmed on Saturday.
football.london understands that Arsenal are confident they have a strong offer for Rice but they also feel that it will ultimately come down to the player to decide amid interest from a host of other top European clubs, including the likes of Bayern and United. The Gunners 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.
The north Londoners are now preparing an official offer for the talented midfielder, having waited until after West Ham's Conference League final against Fiorentina as a mark of respect for David Moyes' side.
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