Arsenal handed huge boost in battle to sign Declan Rice as rivals' financial concerns laid bare

Arsenal have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Declan Rice, according to a fresh report.

The Gunners have hit a stumbling block in the pursuit of their first Premier League title in 19 years.

Mikel Arteta’s men have seen their lead over Manchester City at the Premier League summit halved to four points in the past two weeks after a succession of disappointing draws.

While Arsenal have squandered two-goal leads to draw twice in succession, the title remains in their hands, with a decisive game against City taking place next Wednesday.

And though Arteta’s men will be focused on remedying their stuttering league form ahead of the run-in, behind the scenes Arsenal’s sporting director Edu Gaspar will have one eye on the summer.

One player the club are thought to be interested in is West Ham’s Rice. And the Gunners may have had a boost in the pursuit of the England international.

Newcastle worried about Rice price

According to Sport Mail, Newcastle, who are set to rival Arsenal to sign Rice, will not shatter their wage structure to sign the player, even if they qualify for the Champions League.

Indeed, the publication claimed Newcastle have a definite interest in the 24-year-old.

However, the fee and wages required to prise the midfielder away from east London make a Newcastle deal “unrealistic” at this stage.

Indeed, the latest set of accounts showed the club had an unsustainable wages-to-turnover ratio of 95 percent.

And while there will allegedly be a “huge” increase in the club’s transfer budget if Newcastle secure Champions League football, that extra revenue cannot be committed to vastly inflated wages.

Indeed, high expenditure on players’ wages represents risk should Newcastle only spend a season in Europe’s premier competition.

Senior figures at the club are also said to be mindful of the knock-on effect that doubling the top wage would have on others in the dressing room.

Topics: Football, Declan Rice, West Ham United, Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Newcastle United, Eddie Howe

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.