Arsenal have received a boost in their pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice – according to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Bayern Munich are reportedly out of the race to bring him on board.

In Romano’s tweet, he wrote: “FC Bayern always knew that Declan Rice wanted to continue in England. Tuchel is big fan but deal was never close to being completed with FC Bayern. Arsenal, working on their official bid as personal terms won’t be an issue.”

What will Declan Rice add to the Arsenal squad?

Arsenal already have an incredibly talented defensive midfielder in their ranks – Thomas Partey. However, between him and Rice, the two players are very different.

Partey is more of a defensive-minded holding player. He is an excellent destroyer and is brilliant at breaking up the opposition’s play, but his technical ability can sometimes leave something to be desired.

Rice, on the other hand, is arguably one of the most technically-proficient defensive midfielders in the world. His range of passing is something to behold, as is his composure on the ball and ability to create chances for his teammates.

Additionally, he is also a very capable defender – originally, he was deployed as a ball-playing centre-back. In many ways, Rice is the complete defensive midfielder in the modern game – and he is only 24 years of age. Partey is no slouch, but with Rice in the team, he will add a completely different dimension to the way Mikel Arteta’s men play.

Declan Rice career summary so far

Born in London, Rice joined the youth academy of Chelsea in 2006, when he was just seven years old. After eight years with the Blues, he was released – but he did not let this discourage him, as he subsequently joined the ranks at West Ham.

He made his senior Hammers debut in 2017, steadily rising up the ranks. He has gone on to establish himself as one of the Irons’ greatest players in the Premier League era, making 204 appearances for them and scoring ten goals.

Additionally, he also boasts numerous caps for England. As things stand, Rice has made 41 international appearances for the Three Lions, scoring three goals.