How Chelsea Could Help Arsenal Land West Ham Ace Declan Rice

• Declan Rice has courted interest from a number of top Premier League clubs
• The West Ham United skipper is believed to be valued in excess of £100 mil
• As such, Arsenal would need to sell some of their players to fund his transfer

Chelsea could reportedly play an important role in Arsenal's pursuit of the services of West Ham United midfielder, Declan Rice.

Rice has courted interest from a number of Premier League clubs over the years, with Manchester United also linked with a potential transfer move for the West Ham skipper.

However, any potential suitor will have to fork out a significant amount of money to stand any chance of signing Rice from the London Stadium.

Football London reports that Rice could cost in the excess of £100 million, with initial reports claiming the Hammers had previously slapped a £150 million price tag on the midfielder.

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Rice: Chelsea could help Arsenal

According to Metro UK, Chelsea could actually help their London rivals land the highly-rated midfielder. The potential transfer circus could involve Arsenal youngster, Folarin Balogun and RB Leipzig ace, Christopher Nkunku.

The latter looks set to join the Blues at the end of the season after the struggling club reportedly decided to activate a £52 mil release clause in the Frenchman's contract with Leipzig contract.

Nkunku's possible move to Stamford Bridge would see the German club enter the market in search of his replacement, with reports now suggesting they are looking in the direction of Balogun.

The Bundesliga giants are understood to be keen to reinvest the money raised from Nkunku's sale to Chelsea and are happy to meet Arsenal’s £40 mil asking price for Balogun.

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Metro claims the Gunners could then utilise funds from Balogun's transfer to launch an audacious move for the highly-rated West Ham captain, Rice.

Will Balogun quit Arsenal?

The development comes just days after Balogun refused to rule out a possible Emirates exit. Sports Brief reported on Balogun currently playing for Reims, who he joined on a season-long loan deal last summer.

The 21-year-old has gone on to enjoy an incredible spell with the Ligue 1 side, scoring 17 goals in 27 appearances to court transfer interest across Europe, with AC Milan believed to be leading the race for him.

While Arsenal are believed to be keen to retain the services of Balogun once his loan spell in France ends, the forward recently hinted he could be open to dumping the Gunners in favour of another club.

5 strikers Arsenal want

In related news, Sports Brief reported on Arsenal drawing up a shortlist of world-class strikers they are targeting in the summer transfer window.

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The Gunners are not facing any shortage of goal-scorers at the moment, with the Londoners boasting a strong attacking line.

However, the Emirates Stadium outfit are said to be keen to add more depth upfront and have already identified five possibilities.