Liverpool are “really interested” in signing West Ham captain Declan Rice, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Arsenal have been tipped as the frontrunners for the England international’s signature in recent weeks, but Galetti claims Jurgen Klopp’s side could get involved in the race to recruit the player this summer:

“It’s too early to talk about negotiation between clubs because West Ham don’t want to discuss about Rice with any clubs until June. But for sure, Arsenal will be one that will follow the player with great attention during the next transfer window, and in that sense, we also need to pay attention to Liverpool, who are really interested in him.”

Rice is set to be made available for transfer at the end of the season, although there would be a number of obstacles in Liverpool’s way if they do make a concerted effort to snap up the midfielder.

Firstly, recent reports have suggested that the Hammers could demand as much as £120m for the 24-year-old, and it is an asking price they may stick to, considering the interest from Arsenal (as well as Chelsea and Manchester United).

Another potential stumbling block is Rice’s preference for moving to a Champions League club. Unless the Reds win the tournament this campaign, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll qualify for Europe’s top competition, considering where they are in the table.

New Blog: For full coverage of the WSL check out our brand new WSL blog – WSL News and as part of the site we also have the first dedicated WSL News aggregation page which is part of National World’s commitment to the promotion of Women’s Sport.