Arsenal determined to sign England stars Mason Mount and Declan Rice | OneFootball

According to David Ornstein, Arsenal are heavily interested in both Mason Mount and Declan Rice (both 24) this summer, as Gunners boss Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his midfield in preparation for Champions League football next season.

Following Arsenal’s recent defeat to Nottingham Forest, which subsequently put a halt to their title hopes, the Spaniard stated that they must “absolutely nail” their recruitment this summer, as they look to compete in both European and domestic competitions next season.

The Gunners are already reportedly preparing a £92m bid for West Ham Captain Rice, with the talented midfielder’s contract having a year left to run plus an option to extend by 12 months, which can be triggered by the club.

Arsenal are determined to sign Rice alongside England teammate Mount, who’s contract also expires in 2024, as they identify the two as players who can respectively bolster their midfield and add creatvity in advanced positions.

Mount has had an underwhelming Premier League campaign in a tumultuous Chelsea side, producing just five goal involvements in 24 appearances, compared to 21 in 32 during the 2021/22 season, which was the highest of any other Chelsea player that season.

Despite this, Arsenal will still face significant competition for the signature of Mount, who is attracting interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, whilst Chelsea are still pushing to extend the Cobham graduates’ contract further.

Arsenal have also displayed a concrete interest in Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, with the German seen as an ideal replacment for Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, who is expected to depart the North London side for Bayer Leverkusen this summer, in a deal expected to be worth €15m.

Gundogan’s current deal is set to expire this summer and he has attracted heavy interest from La Liga champions Barcelona, whilst City are making fresh attempts to keep their captain at the club following their third successive Premier League victory, and their fifth in Gundogan’s time at the side.

Travis Levison | Get Football