Arsenal not signing Declan Rice this summer could be catastrophic for Mikel Arteta's plans at Emirates Stadium. The West Ham captain would a perfect addition to the young and exciting team being built in north London, but the Gunners face a serious threat from Manchester City.
Ahead of the summer window opening, Rice joining Arsenal appeared a foregone conclusion, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Man City focusing initially on other targets. However, Pep Guardiola has now made the decision to pursue Rice after Ilkay Gundogan opted to join Barcelona in a transfer that was announced on Monday, as opposed to signing a contract extension at Etihad Stadium.
In midfield, Man City have already agreed a £30million move for Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and now their efforts are on Rice with an opening bid expected this week. Meanwhile, Arsenal are preparing their third proposal to send to the Hammers and football.london understands that the Gunners will beat Man City to Rice if they either table an offer that exceeds £100million or one which guarantees a significant fee to be paid upfront.
