Former England manager Sam Allardyce has tipped Manchester City to beat Arsenal to the signing of Declan Rice this summer, suggesting a swap deal may complete the deal. It comes as both teams have been linked with a move for the West Ham midfielder this window.
football.london understands that Rice is the top priority for the Gunners in the transfer market, but they won't be drawn into a bidding war. The north London side have made an opening offer of £80million, which was split as £70million in guaranteed fees and £10million in add-ons.
That bid was rejected by the Hammers, but Arsenal are expected to increase their offer in the coming days to try and land the England international. That is happening alongside a move for Chelsea star Kai Havertz, who appears to be another of the top targets for Mikel Arteta.
However, the Gunners may need to move fast on their deals as clubs continue to circle their potential targets over the coming weeks. With Rice, the main threat may be Manchester City as they've registered their interest in the 24-year-old following their Champions League victory.
City are yet to make an offer and there's nothing on the personal terms yet, meaning that Arsenal currently lead the race. According to former England boss Allardyce though, a move for the West Ham captain to City is more likely, with a swap deal suggestion.
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He told the William Hill podcast, when asked about Rice's next destination: "Man City. Somebody will go back the other way." Ex-Tottenham interim coach Tim Sherwood replied: "[It] won't be Rodri [making a swap]. Pep will give him [Kalvin Phillips] a chance."
It remains to be seen whether that move will be possible, but the race for Rice remains open until a deal is finally pushed to completion.
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