Declan Rice expects to be an Arsenal player by the end of the month with the Gunners and West Ham still thrashing out a fee.
The England midfielder has long been expected to move on this summer after several impressive years with the Hammers and the north Londoners currently lead the race for his signature. Rice finished the season by landing a European trophy with West Ham in what could be the perfect swan song.
He's now headed off on holiday but anticipates being an Arsenal player by the time June ends, reports the Daily Mail. Personal terms are expected to be a formality with the 24-year-old set to sign a deal worth well over £200,000-a-week once the two clubs agree on a figure.
Arsenal have seen a £90m bid rejected but are set to come back with a £100m offer. West Ham, who are standing firm on Rice's asking price, had been hoping to incite a bidding war, but the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have not come to the party as of yet.
It leaves the Gunners with a free run, despite interest overseas from Bayern Munich, as they seek to build on their impressive campaign, which sees them return to the Champions League. Granit Xhaka is expected to depart with Thomas Partey potentially following him out of the Emirates.
Rice has done his best to play down speculation, telling a young fan that "he's West Ham" despite the expectation being he will move on. Hammers chairman David Sullivan all but confirmed his departure in the aftermath of their Europa Conference League victory.
He told TalkSport : "I think it has to be. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements. It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down.
"It's cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
West Ham stand to make a huge profit on a player who came through their academy following his release at Chelsea. The club's highest ever sale is Dimitri Payet to Marseille, but they will make more than three times that fee should Rice depart.
