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British journalist Adrian Clarke has said that West Ham United captain Declan Rice has been asking people in the Arsenal camp about the club. The Hammers midfielder has been linked with a move to the Emirates in the summer.
Rice, 24. has become West Ham's protagonist, featuring 27 times across competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists. He led David Moyes' side to the UEFA Europa League semifinals last season.
The Gunners have been in the market for a new midfielder and signed Jorginho last month. However, reports suggest that they could target Rice in the summer. Clarke has added fuel to the transfer talk, saying that the Englishman is asking about the club, telling The Athletic's Handbrake Off:
“I can’t reveal my source, but I do know that Declan Rice has been sounding out people connected with Arsenal in regards to, ‘What’s it like there? What’s it really like?’, so that sounds like a positive.”
Arsenal are becoming an enticing option for Rice as they lead the Premier League by five points over Manchester City. Mikel Arteta has overseen a memorable campaign in north London, with his side losing just twice in the league.
Rice would have plenty of compatriots in the Gunners squad, including Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Bukayo Saka. However, if Arteta's side are to sign Rice they will reportedly need to pay a record British transfer fee trumping the £106.8 million Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez last month. They will also have to beat the Blues to the English midfielder's signature.
Arsenal the overwhelming favourites to sign Youri Tielemans for free in summer
Another midfielder on Arsenal's radar is Leicester City's Tielemans. The Belgian will become a free agent in the summer, as his contract expires at the King Power . However, he's yet to agree a new deal with the Foxes.
According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, Tielemans is a target for the Gunners in the summer as they look to bolster their midfield options. He said:
“Come the summer, if Tielemans is available on a free transfer, there’ll be a variety of clubs looking at him. Arsenal will still be there for sure, and we know that Tielemans very much wanted that move a year ago and was hopeful that something might come off throughout the summer, but Arsenal moved in a different direction.”
Tielemans has become one of the Premier League's most highly regarded midfield talents since joining Leicester from AS Monaco in £32 million in 2019. He has scored four goals and provided an assist in 27 games this season.
He scored a memorable winner as Leicester won their first FA Cup in 2021. However, as his contract expiration date moves closer, talks of a potential move to a top Premier League side have gathered steam.
