ARSENAL and Manchester United have been dealt a blow with Bayern Munich reportedly entering the race for Declan Rice.
The West Ham captain, 24, could leave the London Stadium this summer.
The Gunners and the Red Devils have been long-term admirers of Rice, with the Emirates side once the favourites to land him in a club-record transfer.
However, it is understood Thomas Tuchel is weighing up a move for the Hammers ace.
Bild state Tuchel and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic are working on a plan to overhaul the Bayern squad this summer.
And they identified Rice as a suitable option in holding midfield.
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He would be a like-for-like replacement for experienced star Joshua Kimmich, who has been linked with a transfer to Barcelona.
Tuchel came up against Rice during his time as Chelsea boss and believes he has the quality to slot into the Bavarians’ team chasing the Champions League trophy.
And a possible transfer could see England’s first-choice midfield pairing of Rice and Jude Bellingham both playing in the Bundesliga – although the latter may head to Real Madrid or Manchester City.
However, the report adds the transfer fee could prove a sticking point for Bayern.
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West Ham continue to demand £100million for their academy graduate, despite his current contract expiring in 2024.
Bayern’s record transfer fee is the £68m they paid for Lucas Hernandez.
And that could prove a boost for the Premier League sides still keen on landing Rice, especially if they can offer Champions League football.
Hammers boss David Moyes admitted last week there is a “good chance” his influential skipper could leave the club at the end of this season – with James Ward-Prowse lined up as a possible replacement.
Moyes said: “We would love Declan to be a West Ham player but we are aware that may not be the case come the end of the season.
“That is one of the scenarios when it comes to planning.
“There are plans that we have Dec here but we are fully aware that there is a good chance we won’t have him.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
