Declan Rice could be key for Arsenal to land the world-class attacker that manager Mikel Arteta is dreaming of – and it’s not just his brilliant double against Real Madrid in the Champions League that is fuelling the move.
The England midfielder, who hit the headlines with his brilliant brace of free-kicks against Los Blancos to put the Gunners on the verge of the semi-finals, is set to be a catalyst in a deal to help the Emirates side secure the signing of Rafael Leao.
Portugal international Leao is a player that Arsenal are interested in signing, according to TBR Football, which does point out that many of the links are coming from the player’s side. But the Gunners have not ruled out a deal for the 25-year-old, with new sporting director Andrea Berta not holding the club back from signing the former Lille star.
Rice is liable to come in handy when it comes to persuading the AC Milan star to move to London.
The former West Ham United star is well acquainted with the Arsenal transfer target, TBR Football goes on to point out. Rice trained with Leao during the summer of 2023 while the pair have exchanged interactions over social media.
So beyond the admiration that Rice won for Arsenal with his two expertly executed free-kicks against Real Madrid, he has a direct line to the player.
Will Arsenal sign Rafael Leao?
Even with Arsenal making their priority Nico Williams, it appears unlikely they will move for Rafael Leao.
The former Sporting CP youngster has endured an inconsistent season with AC Milan, scoring 10 and creating nine across all competitions. His numbers are notably down in Serie A and he is on course for his worst figures in Italy’s top-flight since his 2022 move from Lille.
Moreover, his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €74.3m, showing that Milan’s asking price of €175m is massively above his market rate.
Arsenal rarely allow themselves to be drawn into such rash signings, which suggests they will continue to focus all their energy on Nico and forget about Rafael Leao.
