Declan Rice is closing in on a £105 million transfer to Arsenal after West Ham accepted the Gunners' third proposal. Mikel Arteta has been pushing to sign the 24-year-old for the past month and now looks set to get his priority target this summer.
Arsenal submitted a club record transfer offer for the England international on Tuesday night, football.london understands. Manchester City entered the race for Rice but, after seeing a £90m bid swiftly rejected by the Hammers, pulled out of the running.
According to The Athletic and The Daily Mail, Arsenal are now expected to complete the signing of Rice after nearly a month of negotiations. The Gunners' offer proposed the guaranteed portion of the fee be paid over the course of four years but West Ham ideally want the cash paid in two instalments by the start of 2025.
The issue considering payment structure has been described as 'minor' and not a point that will see the deal collapse, with both clubs now working towards reaching an agreement. Rice clearly wants to join Arteta's squad after urging the Hammers to accept Arsenal's £100m plus £5m in add-ons proposal.
Formally agreeing personal terms will not be an issue, with Rice to sign a long term contract worth at least £250,000-per-week. With Arsenal now the most likely destination of Rice, ex-West Ham academy star Sebastian Lletget believes the Emirates Stadium would suit better than other Premier League rivals.
"Those are great options [Arsenal, Man City, and Man Utd]," Lletget said speaking exclusively to the Daily Express. Sometimes you wish it was just one team and then it's a clear option.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta's first words after Arsenal confirm Kai Havertz £65m transfer
"I think it's where the most growth you can make, you know? It's the right balance of challenge and growth.
"It's so tough. Do you want to be coached by Pep or do you want to be coached by Arteta? It's a really good problem [to have]. I would choose Arsenal."
Rice looks set to join Kai Havertz at the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal confirmed a £65m deal for the German's signature. Jurrien Timber could also join Havertz at Arsenal as talks over a £43m deal progress.
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