Arsenal transfer target Declan Rice has had a phone call with Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel to discuss a potential move, according to reports.
Rice is expected to leave West Ham this summer, after rejecting multiple contract extensions at the London Stadium.
Arsenal had emerged as frontrunners to sign the 24-year-old, with the club reportedly lining up a club-record £92 million bid to secure his services, claim The Telegraph.
Indeed, Mikel Arteta is keen to add two midfielders to his ranks for next season, with Granit Xhaka expected to join Bayer Leverkusen and Thomas Partey to subject of interest from clubs in Italy.
Meanwhile, The Mirror claim that Rice is ready to make it clear he wants to join Arsenal this summer.
However, German giants Bayern Munich have since arrived on the scene, with Tuchel also in the market for midfield additions.
And it seems the former Chelsea manager is stepping up his pursuit of Rice, having shared a personal phone call with the England international.
Rice has ‘phone call’ with Tuchel
Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg shared news of the phone call, tweeting: “There was a phone call with Tuchel a few days ago!
“Been told it was a good talk. Both appreciate each other. Rice is open to join Bayern and Tuchel. [Bayern] want to intensify their efforts now,” he added.
However, Plettenberg also stressed that “time was running out as he could sign for Arsenal.”
West Ham are thought to want in excess of £100 million for Rice this summer, citing Jude Bellingham’s enormous price tag as a financial benchmark.
To Arsenal’s detriment, Bayern’s interest could see his price tag rise even further and potentially spark a bidding war between the two clubs.
But according to the Daily Mail, Arsenal aren’t strapped for cash with an expected summer transfer budget of around £180million, which could be further increased through player sales.
Although Arteta will want to keep costs low in order to strengthen other areas of his squad.
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