"I’m not an Arsenal fan, but I like the way they’re playing" - Andy Carroll urges ex-teammate to seal Emirates transfer

Former Liverpool forward Andy Carroll has urged his former West Ham United teammate Declan Rice to join Premier League leaders Arsenal this summer.

The England midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium this summer, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal interested. The North Londoners are believed to be looking to add a defensive midfielder to their ranks after failing to land Moises Caicedo in January.

Carroll, who played 22 games with Rice at West Ham in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, has backed the latter to pick the Gunners, who he feels are playing exceptional football. Carrol told Metro.co.uk:

“West Ham aren’t doing great at the moment, but Declan loves West Ham. I was at the club with him when he was a kid coming through – he is a great guy and a great player. We all know he needs to go to a top club. I can’t see him going outside of England, but he should go to a top-three or top-two club.”

He continued:

“I’d like to see Declan at Arsenal, to be honest – I’m not an Arsenal fan, but I like the way they’re playing at the moment. The way Mikel Arteta has them playing, and the young lads coming through – you see the team and the average age is incredible.”

West Ham are in a relegation scrap. The London-based side are 15th but level on 27 points, ahead of 18th-placed Bournemouth on goal difference. Rice, who has been at West Ham his entire senior career, has played 231 games for them across competitions, has scored 12 times and claimed 13 assists.

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Arsenal could add sign Manchester City player in summer

According to the Express, the Gunners could sign Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo in the summer. Mikel Arteta’s side have had success with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who they signed from Manchester City last summer.

It's believed that Bayern Munich will not trigger Cancelo’s €70 million purchase clause in the summer. They could only think about signing him if City lower their asking price. Arsenal could then swoop in and bring the player to north London. The Gunners are expected to play in the UEFA Champions League next season, meaning they will have additional funds.

Cancelo, too, could prefer a return to the Premier League, as he has struggled to find his footing in the Bundesliga. The Portugal full-back has played only seven Bundesliga games since joining Bayern in January, scoring once and claiming two assists. Cancelo’s City contract expires in 2027.