Boma Achenimie 
Arsenal are edging closer to completing their mega-money move for West Ham United midfielder, Declan Rice with the Hammers planning to replace their captain with three players.
The Gunners are preparing a club record £92 million offer for the England international, who is their priority target for the summer transfer window.
Bayern Munich and Manchester United are also in the race for Rice’s signature, but Arsenal are understood to be in pole position to snap up the highly sought-after 24-year-old.
Arsenal are keen to finalise the transfer in time for pre-season in a move that could open the door for Granit Xhaka to complete his expected switch to Bayer Leverkusen in a reported £13m deal.
West Ham have resigned to lose Rice this summer, with club chairman David Sullivan confirming that the midfielder has his heart set on leaving East London this summer.
Rice has played his last game for the Hammers after leading the club to a historic Europa Conference League glory in Prague with a 2-1 victory over Serie A side Fiorentina.
Negotiations over a move to Arsenal are now at an advanced stage, and West Ham are planning to spend the Rice windfall on three recruits, including Harvey Barnes, James Ward-Prowse, and Edson Alvarez.
The Hammers are in pole position to sign Barnes from Leicester City despite facing competition from Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.
The relegated Foxes will demand around £40 million for the player who finished as their top scorer after netting 13 goals in 34 Premier League games this season.
Ward-Prowse is also expected to leave relegated Southampton this summer, but the Saints are likely to demand a huge fee for their captain, with the player’s contract set to run until 2026.
West Ham will also face competition from Bundesliga duo Bayern and Borussia Dortmund for Ajax’s Alvarez, who came close to joining Chelsea last summer
