Reporter claims Arsenal genuinely believe they will beat Chelsea with £80m signing

The summer window is still a few months away but Arsenal appear confident.

Phillips adds Chelsea would likely turn their attention to Southampton star Romeo Lavia if they can’t land Rice.

Lavia was a top Chelsea target last summer, just weeks after leaving Manchester City for the south coast.

Arsenal are also eyeing Lavia and the loser in the Rice Race could well sign the Belgian talent.

“A lot can still happen in the next two months until the end of the season,” said Phillips. “It could go either way but Arsenal feel they are in the lead at the moment.”

“So Chelsea may need to focus on something else, first and foremost Lavia,” he added.

Declan Rice would be an important addition to Arsenal

The Gunners probably didn’t expect to be pushing for the Premier League title this season.

Now they are at the top of the league and getting closer to the title. Arsenal ultimately need to think about targeting a higher caliber of players.

Rice certainly fits into that scheme and is the kind of talent that can help Arsenal maintain this season’s brilliance.

Whether as the defending champions in front of the back four or as an advanced midfielder like Granit Xhaka, Rice and a key player for Arsenal for years to come.

The Times suggests Rice is Arsenal’s main target in a huge £80m move this summer.

There seems to be real confidence on Arsenal’s side that they can beat Chelsea here, despite Rice’s history with the Blues.

If Arsenal can really materialize that signing, they would show that this season isn’t a one-time thing – they can keep challenging for a while.

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