Arsenal to make bid for Premier League star after European final

West Ham United will be bidding for European glory when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday. 

The Hammers reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last term but have gone a step further in the Conference League this season, and manager David Moyes will be hoping to guide his side to victory in Prague.

Wednesday’s match could be Declan Rice’s final game for the Hammers, with the England international regularly linked with a move away from east London.

Now, it appears that one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs will soon make an offer for the midfielder.

As per Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal will make an official bid for Rice after West Ham’s crucial game against Serie A side Fiorentina.

The Italian journalist claims that there has so far been no breakthrough in negotiations for Rice, with the Gunners waiting until after West Ham’s final match of the season before making their first offer.

Rice, 24, has been in sensational form for West Ham over the past couple of seasons and has captained the London side since the start of the current campaign.

In total, the Englishman has made 244 appearances for West Ham, having joined the club’s youth setup from Chelsea’s academy back in 2013.

As well as the Gunners, German champions Bayern Munich are also believed to be interested in Rice, whose current contract is due to expire next summer.

That leaves West Ham in a difficult situation as they must decide between selling the player this summer or keeping him for a further 12 months and potentially letting him go for free next summer.

This season Rice has made 49 appearances across all competitions, including 37 of West Ham’s 38 Premier League matches.

Arsenal are set to be in the market for a new central midfielder as Granit Xhaka closes in on a move away from the club.

The Switzerland international is expected to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in the coming weeks, despite featuring regularly for Mikel Arteta’s side this term.