Manchester City are set to make a formal approach to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice today after Arsenal saw two bids knocked back.
The Gunners are reportedly willing to break their transfer record to pay £90million to West Ham and offer Rice £300,000-a-week. Rice is their number one priority, but the Gunners will face plenty of competition for his services.
The North London club’s latest offer was thought to have been a £90m package that was a guaranteed £75m fee – spread out over several transfer windows – alongside £15m worth of add-ons. That was knocked back, although Arsenal were likely to return with an increased bid as Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey both look set to leave this summer.
However, treble-winning City are now set to enter the race by tabling an offer to West Ham on Thursday. Pep Guardiola’s side are aiming to replace Ilkay Gundogan, who is set to join Barcelona as a free agent this summer following the expiration of his contract at the Etihad.
Rice, 24, held talks with Bayern Munich chiefs last month, as manager Thomas Tuchel hopes to make him his new midfield linchpin. However, talks of a move to Germany appear to have stalled with any move set to happen within the Premier League. Manchester United are also monitoring Rice's situation but have yet to launch an offer.
City are not wasting any time in rebuilding their squad after winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season. They are set to complete the signing of midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
The arrival of the Croatian international may now be supplemented by Rice, whose exit from the Hammers this summer now appears to be certain. However, no satisfactory offer has yet been lodged and the East London club will be hopeful of a bidding war.
Rice, who joined West Ham from Chelsea's academy as a teenager, took over as club captain following Mark Noble's retirement. He led the London side to Europa Conference League glory last season, after which owner Sullivan laid out the state of play over the midfielder's future.
"I think it has to be," Sullivan told talkSPORT when asked if the final against Fiorentina was Rice's last game for the club. "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."
