Madrid plot Gunners raid! Mourinho's dream target is Arsenal's midfield king
Real Madrid's rebuild under Jose Mourinho may be about to aim very, very high: Declan Rice is on the Bernabeu radar.
Details: According to TEAMtalk, influential figures at Madrid have pushed Florentino Perez to make Rice a priority target, and Mourinho is a huge admirer of the England midfielder, keen on the idea of bringing him to the Spanish capital. Arsenal's stance is clear though: Rice is untouchable, with the club having opened talks over a new improved long-term contract back in March.
Madrid's admiration is no secret, their scouts were famously left dazzled when Rice scored two stunning free kicks against them in that 3-0 Champions League quarter-final demolition at the Emirates in April 2025. The 27 year old, signed for a club record £105 million from West Ham in 2023, has since become one of Europe's best midfielders and a cornerstone of Arsenal's title-winning side. For Mourinho, who craves a dominant box-to-box presence, Rice is the dream profile, but with two years left on his deal and Arsenal desperate to extend it, any move would need to be one of the biggest in history to even tempt the Gunners into a conversation.
It's worth noting that Rice remains Arsenal's record signing at £105 million, and Madrid would almost certainly need to shatter their own world records to prise him away.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
