Two Arsenal players could be axed if Declan Rice joins - but his arrival would benefit three Gunners stars

Arsenal look set to sign Declan Rice from West Ham and if the deal goes through it will cause ripples in the Gunners’ dressing room.

On Wednesday it emerged Manchester City have pulled out of the race to sign Rice, a day after Arsenal lodged a third offer for the England international worth up to £105million.

City had a £90million offer rejected by the Hammers on Tuesday, after the Premier League champions bid £80million up front, plus £10million in add-ons for the England midfielder.

Pep Guardiola’s side have since opted not to match or surpass Arsenal’s £105million bid for Rice, leaving the Gunners in a commanding position to finalise the deal.

Should Rice sign for the north Londoners it will lead to some changes in the Arsenal dressing room.

Arsenal could sell Xhaka and Partey

Rice’s arrival could be followed by the departures of midfield duo Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Xhaka, who is entering the final 12 months of his contract, has long been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen while Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich are also said to be interested.

Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed Thomas Partey has garnered interest from Italian giants Juventus, while clubs in the Saudi Pro League are also said to be keen on the Ghanaian international.

And with Rice, a fellow midfielder, now set to sign, both Xhaka and Partey’s prospective moves could be finalised.

Arsenal winners

Martin Odegaard will be a major winner from Rice’s arrival. The Norwegian had a stellar season, having been the beneficiary of Granit Xhaka’s probing runs from midfield.

Indeed, Rice has a box-to-box quality to his game and will be the ideal recipient of Odegaard’s inch-perfect passes.

Naturally, Rice will also add extra solidity in the midfield, which will provide players like Odegaard with a platform to express themselves.

Bukayo Saka will also be a beneficiary of Rice’s arrival. The pair have developed a bromance while on international duty with England.

Rice, who is West Ham captain, is known to be a leader in the dressing room, and his relationship with the likes of Saka will likely add to the good feeling in the Gunners squad.

Another England international, Aaron Ramsdale, will also welcome Rice’s arrival.

The midfielder is lauded for his ability to protect the back four and his knack for winning back the ball - all qualities that will see the Arsenal defence and goalkeeper have a lot less to do next term.

Topics: Football, Transfers, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard

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.