Shock report claims Bayern Munich are 'close' to agreeing deal for Declan Rice

Bayern Munich are 'close' to signing West Ham captain Declan Rice, a shock report has claimed.

Rice, 24, is expected to move clubs this summer after another impressive campaign at the London stadium.

Arsenal were believed to be a the front of the queue to sign the England international, ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern.

But the race to sign the midfielder took an unexpected twist on Friday, after surprise reports claimed that the German giants are close to agreeing a deal for Rice.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel recently held talks with Rice and told him he views as the perfect holding midfielder for his side as part of a wider 'charm offensive', according to The Times.

And those efforts may have paid off.

Marca journalist Jose Felix Diaz (via Metro) claim Bayern are 'about to close the signing' of the West Ham star.

Bayern are reportedly willing to pay a transfer fee of up to £85m for Rice, which would be the most the club have ever spent on a player.

If the report is accurate, it would be a major blow for Arsenal's summer transfer plans.

Arsenal still favourites to sign Rice?

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is said to be a 'huge fan' of Rice and has made him his No 1 target this summer.

Conflicting reports elsewhere claim Arsenal remain in pole position to sign the England star.

According to Football Insider, Rice has told friends that he has now played his final league game for West Ham, with Arsenal believed to be his most likely destination.

That report was followed by a claim from the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel that the Gunners a preparing a huge opening bid for Rice.

It is claimed their offer would be worth £90m - smashing the club-record fee set when Nicolas Pepe moved to the Emirates Stadium from Lille in 2019.

While it is still unclear where Rice will end up this summer, one thing is for certain – his future won't be decided until after West Ham's final game of the season.

They take on Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League final in Prague on Wednesday, it what could prove to be his last match for the Hammers.

Topics: West Ham United, Bayern Munich, Football, Premier League, Transfers, Declan Rice, Bundesliga, Arsenal

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan