Some West Ham supporters have interpreted Declan Rice's Twitter account changes as a celebration of his career with the club, as bids to take him away from the London Stadium continue to arrive.
Arsenal have seen two bids for the midfielder knocked back by the Hammers, with Premier League rivals Manchester City now entering the race in a big way. City have lodged an opening bid of their own for Rice, who captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last season, and Mirror Football understands they are ready to match the £100m they spent on British record signing Jack Grealish.
Rice's new Twitter profile cover shows him through the years as a West Ham player. Rice made his debut at the end of the 2016-17 season, and has made more than 200 Premier League appearances for the London club under a succession of managers.
"Drown out the transfer noise, he’s still a WHU player and we need to continue to celebrate this cup win!!!!!" one fan said. "What ever happens, happens!
Another described it as "A nice surprise to wake up to". Even if Rice moves on this summer - and owner David Sullivan has strongly hinted that will be the case - supporters have been able to recognise his achievements in East London.
Arsenal's second bid came in at £75m, with a further £15m in add-ons, but it was turned down as West Ham hold out for a nine-figure sum. While Bayern Munich have dropped out of the race, recognising the England star's preference for a Premier League stay, City's midfield situation has prompted them to step up their interest.
Manchester United have also been linked, not for the first time. However, their attempts to make a marquee signing in attack means they might not also be able to pay West Ham's asking price for Rice.
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City are poised to make Mateo Kovacic their first signing of the summer, with the Chelsea man set for a move worth a reported £25m plus £5m in add-ons. The Croatian has confirmed he expects to leave Stamford Bridge before his contract enters its final year.
The move for Kovacic had seen some raise questions over whether City would swoop for Rice or target other positions. However, with captain Ilkay Gundogan set to join Barcelona, the West Ham man could help fill a gap in the middle of the park.
Guardiola is believed to view Rice as the ideal replacement for Gundogan, who was his first City signing back in 2016. There have also been suggestions City might offer former Hammers target Kalvin Phillips as part of a deal, but the £45m man has pledged to fight for his place at the Etihad Stadium.
"I came to Manchester City to win trophies and we won the trophies but I didn't play as much as I wanted to do," Phillips said. "My intention is to stay there.
"We have just won the Treble, so there is no reason for me to leave other than if I am not playing I will obviously have to think about it. I cannot give it 12 months and say I am not playing so I am going to leave."
