Former West Ham fullback Glen Johnson is adamant that captain Declan Rice won’t leave the Hammers for Arsenal this summer.

The Gunners are widely regarded as favourites for the midfielder’s signature but Johnson firmly believes that the 24-year-old will opt to join another team instead:

“I think Arsenal would suit him, but I don’t think for a second he will be at Arsenal. There’s no chance. He’s a proper good footballer, so he will certainly be great on the ball and would suit that style of play for sure, but he’s not going to Arsenal. If he’s available, then City or Madrid will want him, and Bayern Munich will too. So he’s not going to go there, but if he did, he would suit them.”

The likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and even Newcastle have been mentioned as other possible destinations but the team that is pushing hardest (other than Arsenal) is Bayern Munich.

It has been reported that manager Thomas Tuchel has even gone as far as having a face-to-face meeting with Rice in order to convince the England international to make the switch to Germany.

Who are favourites to sign Rice at the bookies?

Arsenal remain odds-on with most bookmakers to snap up the midfielder, while Bayern are 4/1 to be Rice’s next club. United and Chelsea are very much outsiders in the race currently.

Of course, a lot still depends on who is willing to meet West Ham’s asking price. The Irons are reportedly demanding between £100m and £120m for the player.