Bayern enter the race for Declan Rice! Arsenal & Chelsea to face competition for West Ham captain as Thomas Tuchel begins Joshua Kimmich succession plan

• Rice touted to leave West Ham in the summer
• Arsenal & Chelsea vying for his services
• Bayern view Rice as Kimmich's successor

WHAT HAPPENED? The England international has been linked with several top Premier League sides in recent seasons, with Arsenal & Chelsea believed to be the frontrunners to get him on board. According to SportBild, Bayern Munich are admirers of the West Ham captain and Tuchel views him as a long-term successor to Kimmich in midfield.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: It has been reported that the German midfielder is considering leaving the Allianz Arena after the surprise exit of Julian Nagelsmann in March and Barcelona view him as a tailor-made replacement for Sergio Busquets.

If Kimmich indeed ends up leaving Bayern in the summer, the Bavarian giants are expected to intensify their pursuit of Rice further. However, West Ham's asking price of £120m (€137.76/ $150m) could prove to be a major stumbling block for the reigning Bundesliga champions.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Bild also mentions that Bayern are closely monitoring Ajax's Edson Alvarez. However, Borussia Dortmund are believed to be ahead in the race for the Mexican and have already held talks with the representatives of the midfielder. Bayern must act with alacrity and decisiveness if they want to pursue the player, with their rivals already having covered significant ground.

WHAT NEXT? West Ham coach David Moyes has recently admitted that there is a "good chance" that Rice will leave London Stadium this summer despite the London side having the option to extend his contract, which ends in June 2024, for an additional year. It remains to be seen whether he ends up in one of the London clubs or flies abroad to join Bayern Munich in Germany.