was ‘bowled over’ by Mikel Arteta following a meeting with the Arsenal manager in January, according to reports.
Arteta is closing in on one of his priority targets for the summer transfer window .
had threatened to ruin Arsenal’s transfer plans, however, .
It remains to be seen whether Rice would’ve opted to join Pep Guardiola’s side instead of Arsenal, with reports claiming that the midfielder had made Arsenal his preferred destination this summer.
According to , Rice has already met Arteta and was impressed by the Arsenal manager’s plan to improve his game and develop his skillset.
The report also claims that Arsenal have noticed that Rice is a ‘quick learner’.
Arsenal’s decision to break the British transfer record to sign Rice has already been endorsed by Emile Smith Rowe.
‘I can’t speak highly enough of him,’ .
‘I remember my first camp and I was surprised with how good he actually was.
‘He was the best in training. Just his level, intensity, technically, everything he was doing. A real leader and still so young. He was really, really good.’
Elsewhere, .
Arteta has been keen to strengthen his defensive options and Timber, who is adept at playing in a central or right-sided role, quickly emerged as a top target for the Gunners.
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