Arsenal are close to finalising a deal for Declan Rice after the club set a deadline to get the West Ham captain to the Emirates Stadium.
After initially seeing two bids rejected, it appeared Mikel Arteta finally had his man last week as the Gunners had a third offer of £105 million accepted. That was after Manchester City withdrew from the race, not wanting to pay above £90 million for the 24-year-old.
But the proposed structure of the payments proved a stumbling block, with the Hammers reportedly demanding a large amount of the fee up front. And the delay has been enough to play on the nerves of Arsenal fans, with Rice viewed as pivotal addition that could cement them as Premier League title challengers again next season.
