Rumours over Declan Rice's future at West Ham have only intensified after the midfielder was spotted getting Martin Odegaard to sign an Arsenal shirt after their 2-2 draw.
Arsenal's Premier League title hopes took a big hit on Sunday afternoon. Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard handed the Gunners a 2-0 lead after just 10 minutes at the London Stadium.
But after Said Benrahma scored from the penalty spot following Gabriel's challenge on Lucas Paqueta, the in-form Bukayo Saka missed from 12 yards to give Mikel Arteta's side a two-goal advantage.
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West Ham then pounced in the second-half when Jarrod Bowen levelled the scores with a terrific volley – a potentially defining moment in this season's hotly-contested title race.
After the full-time whistle, tunnel footage from the London Stadium caught one of Arsenal's top transfer targets Declan Rice chatting to Martin Odegaard, who appeared to sign a Gunners shirt for the England international.
We know Rice is an avid collector of football shirts, with the West Ham midfielder having an impressive collection of jerseys plastered all over his walls at home.
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But it didn't stop fans from speculating about the meeting.
One said: "My guy literally brought a shirt from home for the lads to sign," while another commented: "This is mad hahaha, it’s not even like they swapped shirts because it’s the home shirt."
A third wrote: "That's the sign you need Arsenal, he wants to join us."
A fourth added: "He’s from London. I’m sure he has family that are fans. Just being a good man. Doesn’t mean anything else."
During Sunday's coverage in East London, pundit Jamie Carragher dropped a not-so-subtle hint over Declan Rice's future when on commentary duty.
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When asked about rumours linking Rice with a move to Arsenal, Carragher said: "It might be a little bit more than that."
Last month, Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s full-time exchange after England's win over Ukraine got Arsenal fans talking again.
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After the full-time whistle, as both sets of players shook hands, Rice and Gunners full-back Zinchenko shared a quick embrace.
One fan posted a video of the pair, whilst claiming that Zinchenko said: “You joining?” to West Ham captain Rice, while another reacted, tweeting: “My informal Captain. Arsenal true and true. Zinchenko is the man.”
A third said: “Zinchenko to Rice: you joining? Rice replied with yeah.”
Do you think Declan Rice would be a good signing for Arsenal?
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Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@ArsenalN7Topics: Arsenal, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Premier League, West Ham United, Fan Reactions
