Arsenal dealt transfer blow as Declan Rice reaffirms commitment to West Ham with clear response to fan's question
Arsenal target Declan Rice recently spoke about his future at West Ham. The midfielder was asked by a fan in a recent video which club would he like to join next.
Rice said that he is a West Ham player and is not looking for a move away. Speaking on a TikTok video, Rice said (via Daily Star):
"Nowhere, I'm West Ham."
He added:
"Nah, I don't... West Ham's my one."
Declan Rice recently led West Ham to UEFA Conference League glory. This was the club's first trophy since 1999. The midfielder had a great season, scoring five and assisting four in 50 matches across competitions.
Rice has been linked with a move away from the Hammers, with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich among potential suitors. The Gunners are reportedly leading the race for the midfielder.
Speaking about his future, Rice told BT Sport after the recently concluded Conference League final:
"At the moment, there’s a lot of speculation going on about my future, there’s interest from other clubs, that’s out there, but ultimately I’ve still got two more years at West Ham. I love this club, I love playing for this club. There hasn’t been nothing yet, so my focus is on playing for West Ham, enjoying tonight and seeing what happens."
He added:
"I’m captain of this club. I absolutely love it to pieces and cannot speak highly enough of this place, so let’s just see what happens. Let’s just wait and see."
West Ham chairman on Arsenal target Declan Rice's future
While Declan Rice's recent statement could be a blow to Arsenal's hopes, West Ham chairman David Sullivan told the media that they have agreed to let Rice leave in the summer.
Speaking to the media following the UEFA Conference League final, which West Ham won by beating Fiorentina, Sullivan reflected on the matter revolving around Rice's transfer in the summer window:
"We gave the promise last summer that if he gave us his all, we would let him leave the club. West Ham is a very proper club, and we do things in a proper way. At the same time, we don't want some club having us over and a replacement is going to cost 50 to 60 million and they're not going to be as good as him."
West Ham reportedly want £100 million for Rice. Arsenal previously agreed to pay that sum. However, recent reports from 90min suggest that the Gunners have made a dramatic U-turn and are looking to shell out only £80 million plus add-ons.