"They don't want him to go there" - Journalist claims Chelsea will attempt to hijack Arsenal deal for 24-year-old star
Sky Sports international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio claims that Chelsea will try to hijack Arsenal's potential deal for West Ham United captain Declan Rice.
The Gunners are positioned as favorites to sign Rice, who is expected to leave West Ham in the summer. Mikel Arteta is looking to bolster his midfield options with a stellar signing of the Englishman.
However, Di Marzio claims that Chelsea will try and prevent Arsenal from securing their former academy player's signature. He told My Betting Sites:
“I’m sure that they [Chelsea] will try to get him if they know that he is close to signing for Arsenal only because they don’t want him to go there. Chelsea are buying players like it’s a game & it’s a crazy situation right now.”
The Athletic reported in January that Arsenal were growing in confidence to seal a deal for Rice. The midfielder has reportedly rejected three offers from West Ham to remain in east London. His contract expires in 2024.
It is thought that Rice will cost around £80 million, and the Gunners seem set for a battle to secure his signature. The Hammers skipper has made 34 appearances across competitions, scoring two goals and providing four assists.
Chelsea have already proven to be a nuisance for the Premier League leaders in the transfer market. They hijacked Arsenal's deal for Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Mykhaylo Mudryk. The Ukrainian winger joined the Blues for £88.5 million but continuously pushed for a move to the Emirates prior to that.
Joe Cole lavishes praise on Arsenal and Chelsea target Rice following goalscoring performance for England
Rice was in action for England on Thursday (March 24) night as the Three Lions secured a 2-1 victory over Italy.
The West Ham midfielder opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a close-range finish. Harry Kane then became his nation's all-time leading goalscorer when he netted a 44th-minute penalty.
Gli Azzurri hit back through Mateo Retegui in the 56th minute. Gareth Southgate's side were then reduced to 10 men when Luke Shaw was sent off for a second bookable offense. However, England triumphed over Roberto Mancini's men to get their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign off to the perfect start.
Joe Cole did punditry for Channel 4 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. He lauded Rice's performance, saying:
"Declan Rice was the best player on the pitch by a mile. It was terrible defending for the goal, but he’s alive to it. If it’s a centre-forward we’re talking about instinct. He was outstanding from start to finish."
Rice impressed with three accurate long balls. He also made four clearances and one tackle.
The Three Lions will next face Ukraine in their second Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday (March 26). The West Ham midfielder may just have the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea watching closely.