Declan Rice latest: Arsenal transfer bombshell as fresh twist pours doubt on midfielder’s next move

A report in Germany claims Bayern Munich’s meeting with Declan Rice has led them to believe they still have a good chance of signing the West Ham star.

The 24-year-old has put in six stellar seasons for the Hammers, making 244 appearances in all competitions. The England ace has one more outing for the East End club. David Moyes’ men take on Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on June 7 in Prague.

Victory would be a fitting way for Rice to bid farewell to the club he has been with since 2014.

Moyes is resigned to losing the defensive midfielder, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern said to be keen.

Most things pointed to the Gunners being in pole position to secure his signature. However, the German giants then threw their hat into the ring, with reports they would offer in the region of £95m.

That news was clearly of concern to the Arsenal hierarchy, who want Rice to add steel to their midfield ranks.

However, reports on Thursday claimed that the man with 41 Three Lions caps wants to continue to play in the Premier League.

That appeared to rule out a move to Bayern, despite the best efforts of former Chelsea chief Thomas Tuchel.

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Now in charge at the Allianz Arena, he is said to be a huge fan of the West Ham talisman and is eager to bring him to Germany.

But, settled in London, Rice appeared to be angling for a move to the Emirates.

German report muddies waters over Rice future

The latest twist in the ongoing saga comes from Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

He has taken to Twitter and seemed to suggest that Rice is still open to the possibility of joining the Bundesliga giants.

He tweeted: “The meeting with him in London was positive! Rice has given the feeling that he can well imagine a move to Bayern!”

That contradicts Thursday’s reporting and it remains to be seen if there is any truth in the tweet.

Plettenberg added that Bayern’s bosses ‘have discussed him in the last days again’ and that Tuchel is the ‘main driver’ behind their pursuit.

Arsenal still hold all the aces

Despite Friday’s news, it seems likely that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Rice.

The north Londoners are said to have agreed personal terms with the talented schemer.

They are waiting until after the Europa Conference League final before tabling a bid, as per Fabrizio Romano.

And it remains to be seen if Bayern also put their money where their mouth is.

Arsenal enjoyed an excellent campaign, missing out on the title to Manchester City.

But a second-place finish represents a marked improvement on recent seasons.

Champions League football will be back at the Emirates and that is a competition that Rice is eager to play in.

He would also be guaranteed a spot in Europe’s elite club competition with Bayern.

But domestically, the Premier League is stronger than the Bundesliga and a competition that Rice feels at home in.

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