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Football London
Football London
Sport
Tom Canton

Declan Rice to Man City transfer truth revealed as rejected Arsenal bid raises new questions

Manchester City are interested in Declan Rice and after Arsenal are understood by football.london to have had their opening bid rejected, is there reason to be worried in north London? In short, yes, but to a degree.

This would be the case in any scenario and as Arsenal move for a higher calibre of star as their own stock rises with a return to title challenges and Champions League competition then so will the level of opposition they face for those players. Man City possess significant financial might and the guarantee of trophies and title challenges to boot, Arsenal meanwhile are selling a project under Mikel Arteta that has seen massive player improvement and the aim of winning trophies in the near future.

At Man City the presence of Rodri presents Declan Rice with a choice were he to move to the Etihad Stadium. Minutes would not be as readily available although that said when the Citizens signed Jack Grealish for an English record fee, he too had to be patient for regular game time but it did eventually come.

For Arsenal meanwhile, their ambition to sign Rice has been well documented and football.london understands that the Gunners are indeed his preferred destination, supported by a desire to stay in London. The opening bid of £80million plus at least £10million was rejected and deemed derisory by West Ham, but this is very normal in negotiations for the first offer to be turned down.

The higher you start, the higher the end price can be. There is seemingly a willingness from Arsenal to pay beyond £100million for Rice but the clubs need to come to an agreement on the structure of the amount paid upfront, in addition to the scale and outline of the add-ons.

The somewhat sudden emergence of Manchester City in the race for Rice is slightly misguided. City have always had an appreciation for the England international going back some years. With the 24-year-old on the move this summer, their presence in any talk of his transfer was inevitable.

READ MORE: Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Declan Rice deal advances, Bellingham announced, Caicedo bid

But the timing of the first bid being rejected, and Man City’s name suddenly thrust back into the public eye as a potential suitor certainly benefits the selling club. West Ham have never wanted a quick resolution to the Rice saga despite needing to find a replacement themselves.

Of course, his sale occurring relatively early on in the window, allowing more than a month to spend any funds raised before the season starts would be preferable, is better but with the window having been open mere hours there’s no urgency from the Hammers’ side. Why would there be?

As Arsenal bid and then hear of potential rivals, there’s sure to be some consideration to jump and go big to seal the deal. Going too big could have a significant impact on further moves with football.london understanding Kai Havertz to be of serious interest.

Arsenal need to remain composed in these talks but they need to be successful too. Missing out on Rice would represent a major blow to their summer plans and the reputation of those trying to pull off the deals.

Missing out on Lisandro Martinez, Raphinha and Mykhailo Mudryk added extra pressure to get priority targets in this window. Losing out on the first one is a scenario both the Gunners and West Ham will be all too aware of.

READ NEXT:

Arsenal opening Declan Rice bid revealed as West Ham reject approach amid Man City interest

Arsenal offer Kai Havertz career revival to leave Chelsea licking their transfer wounds again

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