Rice tops Arsenal wish list

Arsenal have been looking to add a central midfielder to their ranks for a while now. Last summer, they reportedly failed in a very late attempt to prize Douglas Luiz away from Aston Villa and they were said to be strongly interested in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo in January, but like Villa before, the Seagulls weren’t interested in selling.

Another name that has been occasionally mentioned in connection with the Gunners is West Ham star Declan Rice, and according to The Times, Arsenal have made the England international their top priority in the transfer market this summer.

Rice is under contract with the Hammers until the summer of 2024, with the club having the option to extend it unilaterally by further 12 months. He was previously linked with Chelsea and Manchester United, but their respective acquisitions of Enzo Fernandez and Casemiro in the last two windows make it extremely unlikely for either club to revive the interest in the 24-year-old.