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Arsenal 3 Other Transfer Options if Manchester United or Man City Hijack Declan Rice Deal

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2023

Arsenal 3 Other Transfer Options if Manchester United or Man City Hijack Declan Rice Deal

In a surprising turn of events, both Manchester United and Manchester City have emerged as contenders to hijack Arsenal’s pursuit of West Ham captain Declan Rice.

The Gunners were initially believed to be leading the race for Rice’s signature, but after having their two offers rejected by West Ham, their rivals now have an opportunity to swoop in and persuade Rice to make a move to Manchester.

Should Arsenal miss out on their primary target, Infoexpert24 Sport has identified three potential backup options for the London club.

Pursue Moises Caicedo

If either Manchester club manages to snatch Rice away from Arsenal, their most likely Plan B would involve making a move for Brighton star Moises Caicedo.

Arsenal had previously made attempts to sign Caicedo during the January transfer window, with two bids exceeding £70 million being turned down as they sought to strengthen their midfield.

While Arsenal and Chelsea cooled their interest due to Brighton’s demand for a bid exceeding £100 million for the Ecuadorian, the Gunners may revisit their pursuit of Caicedo if Rice decides to depart from London.

Retain Thomas Partey

Should Rice’s transfer to Arsenal falter and Romeo Lavia also join the club, it is expected that Thomas Partey would leave Arsenal, with Granit Xhaka likely to depart for Bayer Leverkusen as well.

However, if the departure of the Swiss midfielder occurs at a later stage, Arsenal might consider keeping Partey at the club, despite his contractual situation.

Partey had an impressive season in 2022-23, and although Arsenal ideally aims to upgrade with Rice and sell Partey to either Saudi Arabia or Juventus for £35 million, retaining the Ghanaian midfielder within the current squad would not be a complete disaster.

Furthermore, it would provide Edu and Arteta with the opportunity to invest the funds in other areas of the team.

Revive Martin Zubimendi

Deal Before Arsenal made their two bids for Declan Rice, they had identified Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi as an alternative option.

Zubimendi, who has been a long-standing target, was previously reported to be very close to a move to the Emirates for his £53 million release clause at the La Liga club.

While Zubimendi has previously distanced himself from links to both Arsenal and Barcelona after securing Champions League football with Sociedad, the Gunners could still attempt to persuade him by showcasing their project.

If Arsenal can change Zubimendi’s mind, his club would have little recourse to prevent the transfer. Arsenal’s pulling power has attracted the likes of Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber in the past, and while it remains uncertain if Zubimendi would be interested in a renewed approach from Arsenal, it could be an option worth exploring.

As Arsenal face the possibility of losing out on Declan Rice, they must carefully consider these alternative paths and navigate the transfer market with agility and determination.

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