Arsenal have a secret weapon in the pursuit of West Ham United star, Declan Rice.
That's according to a report that says that the Gunners are going to pull out all the stops in order to secure their No.1 target. Mikel Arteta reportedly wants another No.6 to compete with Thomas Partey, having made big bids for Moises Caicedo in January before landing Jorginho.
Securing one midfielder hasn't stopped the north Londoners from wanting another, however, with the main target in the summer being England international, Rice.
According to the Mail, Jack Wilshere is a "secret agent" that Arsenal will use to convince his former team-mate, Rice, to come to the Emirates Stadium instead of rivals Chelsea or Manchester United.
"Rice and Wilshere formed a close relationship during their time playing together at West Ham and have remained tight," the report states. "Indeed, it has been pointed out to Sportsmail that the Wilshere factor could well be an influencer as Rice decides his next destination."
Wilshere is currently managing the Arsenal under-18s, having retired from professional football last year. A Hale End graduate who broke into the Gunners' first team at a young age, he left north London for east in 2018 when Arsene Wenger departed the club, yet always maintained a close relationship with Arsenal.
Asking a member of staff to endorse a move feels very Football Manager, doesn't it? Still, it wouldn't be the first time that the Gunners have done so.
Last year, Aaron Ramsdale told FFT that Bukayo Saka asked him about joining Arsenal at England camps, claiming, "Bukayo had mentioned that he and the boss had been talking about me."
Rice is valued at around €80 million by Transfermarkt.
More Arsenal stories
The rumour mill is going into overdrive with Arsenal leading the way in the race to sign Declan Rice. One source claims a contract has been agreed with the midfielder, though Manchester City are interested, too. West Ham apparently have a successor lined up.
In other rumours, Raheem Sterling is being targeted, with a centre-forward on the wishlist, according to reports. A bid for Raphinha has been revealed while Rasmus Holjund of Atalanta is on the radar, too. January target Ivan Fresneda is still wanted by the Gunners, as well.
Meanwhile, Chelsea star Mykhaylo Mudryk – who turned down Arsenal in the winter window – has addressed his supposed unhappiness at Stamford Bridge.
‘The pure simplicity of the way Slot has managed the squad is probably the biggest thing I could say about him. It’s not broken, so let’s get on with it’: Liverpool legend full of admiration for Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield
‘I trained at Spurs and thought they’d give me a chance. But I received a letter thanking me but saying they didn’t think I was good enough – I was gutted’: How Tottenham missed out on signing Wales legend John Toshack
