Former Manchester United star claims Arsenal can challenge for PL next season if they sign either Declan Rice or £80m transfer target

Manchester United icon Andy Cole has backed Arsenal to challenge for the Premier League title next season if they sign one of Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo.

The Gunners came quite close to ending their 19-year wait for a league title during the 2022-23 campaign. However, they were unable to beat the reigning champions Manchester City in the title race despite leading the table for 248 days.

The north London outfit will certainly look to reinforce their squad this summer to maintain their form in the English top tier next season. They have been linked with West Ham United skipper as well as Brighton & Hove Albion's Caicedo.

Cole is of the opinion that the Gunners could contend for the title once again if they sign one of the two midfielders. The Englishman told Punters.Pub (as quoted by Metro):

"If Arsenal brought in one of them then that would definitely improve them enough to challenge next season. I’m not sure what the price tag is on both of them. But I think Moises Caicedo is a fantastic player, I really do. He bosses games for Brighton, who played some real good stuff this season."

He added:

"If he’s £80m, I’m not quite sure why Declan Rice should be £100m. In the end it comes down to who Mikel Arteta thinks is going to make Arsenal better, whether or not he thinks that they could bring Arsenal closer to winning the Premier League. We’ll have to wait and see."

The Gunners are also set to return to the UEFA Champions League next season after six years. Hence, they need to reinforce their squad even more.

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Arsenal prepare bid for priority target Declan Rice, says Fabrizio Romano

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, The Gunners are set to table an official offer for Declan Rice, who is a priority target for Mikel Arteta. The Italian reporter claims that the Gunners are confident that they can agree on personal terms with the player.

Romano wrote on Twitter:

"Work in progress for Declan Rice deal, Arsenal confident since last week — more to follow."

He added, in another tweet:

"Arsenal, working on their official bid as personal terms won’t be an issue."

Rice has developed into one of England's best midfield prospects in the market, attracting interest from various outfits. The 24-year-old has also been linked with Bayern Munich.

However, as per Romano, the German outfit were unable to secure his services as the midfielder would prefer to stay in the Premier League.

The West Ham United midfielder displayed some great form in the English top tier last campaign. He recorded four goals and two assists in 37 Premier League appearances for the Hammers. He also helped the club win the UEFA Europa Conference League.