Arsenal's reported summer target Declan Rice made no secrets about his post-match discussion with the Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.

Does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?

The north London side have enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign under their Spanish coach where they have put together a solid push for the Premier League title.

However, over the last two weeks, there have been indications that this title charge could be on the verge of collapsing with two-goal leads thrown away against Liverpool and West Ham United.

But it seems as if they are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window as their project under Arteta may need further reinforcements to solidify them as regular title competitors.

One name who has been linked with a serious interest from the north London club is West Ham's midfield general, Rice, who put in a solid shift on Sunday.

And after the game at the London Stadium, the £60k-per-week Rice was captured sharing an embrace with the Spaniard amid the transfer speculation.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has commented on the England midfielder not being concerned about the perception on his discussion with Arteta ahead of the summer window:

"What I think is interesting is that he (Rice) didn't care about being so public about those moments. He knows the stories are out there.

"But in his mind, he's given West Ham absolutely everything. And he's got nothing to hide in this situation. End of the day, he's making a career for himself."

Should Arsenal go all out for Rice?

Perhaps one of the surprise packages in this season's Premier League campaign has been Granit Xhaka in the middle of the Arsenal side.

The Swiss midfielder has even been booed off the pitch by his own fans in the past but he has received a lot of praise over recent months for his turnaround in north London.

However, he operates the midfield alongside Thomas Partey who has established himself in the side since his arrival from Atletico Madrid.

So it will provide Arteta with an interesting headache if Rice is to join over the summer given the Gunners already have such a strong midfield.

Rice has been hailed as a "superstar" by Bianca Westwood and it's clear to see why when he ranks inside the top ninth percentile for both clearances and interceptions (via FBref).

This is a player who could seriously improve the Arsenal midfield with their strength in depth taking a huge boost if Xhaka was willing to play a rotational role.

Rice (2.27) has more than doubled the number of tackles per 90 minutes that Xhaka (1.06) has returned this season with a much higher tackles-won percentage too (via FBref).

But it will leave an interesting dynamic in the camp and it would be intriguing to see whether – at 30 years old – Xhaka would be willing to take up a lesser role in the squad.