Arsenal legend Ray Parlour is hoping his former club sign West Ham’s Declan Rice in order to add extra depth in midfield.

The Gunners have missed the presence of Thomas Partey whenever he has been sidelined with injury and Parlour feels Rice would be the “perfect” candidate to support the Ghanaian international:

“You’ve got to have a squad that can deal with injuries and suspensions as it always happens throughout the season. Without Partey, Arsenal’s central midfield depth isn’t quite good enough. If Arsenal could bring in Declan Rice in the summer he’d be a fantastic signing. A young player that’s very energetic and can get forward as well, he’d be perfect for Arsenal.”

You won’t get many Arsenal supporters disagreeing with Parlour. Partey is an outstanding player but his fitness problems mean he can’t be relied upon, so having someone like Rice in the squad would be ideal.

Reports suggest that Mikel Arteta’s side are favourites to sign the England international at the moment, ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

The big stumbling block is likely to be Rice’s asking price. It has been claimed that the Hammers would accept a fee of around £75m for the midfielder, which is a sum you can see the Gunners paying. However, some have put the player’s valuation as high as £120m, which could put the club off from making an approach.