Arsenal transfer target Declan Rice wants to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium...

What's the word?

That's according to CBS Sports journalist James Benge, who provided a rather exciting claim on a recent episode of the 'House of Champions' podcast.

He said:

"I do know that Declan Rice; they’re his priority as well as him being Arsenal’s priority.

"He’s been speaking in absolute glowing terms about them behind closed doors and I think he’s really fascinated by this move."

The West Ham United captain has emerged as a top target for the Gunners as there is a growing expectation that he will leave the Irons this summer. It's also thought that he would cost in the region of £80m, which would break the £72m the club paid for Nicolas Pepe in 2019.

Arteta in dreamland

If these claims are true, then sporting director Edu Gaspar pretty much has the green light to seal a sensational swoop for the England international at the end of the current campaign.

Rice clearly won't come cheap but he'd be worth every penny and perhaps would be the icing on the cake, should Arsenal be crowned champions come May.

There's no denying that, on his day, the 24-year-old enforcer is one of the best young midfield talents in the game. Perhaps this season, amid the Hammers' league struggles, has highlighted that even more.

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Meanwhile, offensively, he has unearthed new talents by registering an average of four progressive passes, 3.2 shot-creating actions and 1.25 key passes per 90, via FBref - these are some of the best creative returns of his short career to date, yet West Ham are on the cusp of a relegation battle.

Now capped 39 times by the Three Lions, Rice could be something of a total dream for Mikel Arteta - being young, homegrown and progressive in nature on the pitch.

"There’s not many better," Moyes once claimed before adding: "you can look at Frenkie De Jong or you can look at Jorginho. You could look at people who are really, really tidy football players.

"But then if you looked at the other side of the game, Declan’s as good as anybody I know at recovering the ball, his speed round the pitch."

Also lauded as an "absolute monster in midfield" by ESPN UK editor David Cartlidge, it's encouraging to see that both the player and the club want to secure a move ahead of next season.

In Rice, Arteta would be getting his long-term defensive midfield piece and one capable of keeping the Gunners at the very top for several seasons. That would surely make him an absolutely perfect signing, so Edu must now look to smash their club-record to sign him.

AND in other news, Arsenal closing in on "beastly" 3rd January signing, it's another Edu masterclass...