Arsenal are one step away from confirming the signing of West Ham captain Declan Rice as their latest addition in a club-record transfer deal.
football.london understands that the Gunners have held keen interest in the England international since early this year, outlining their interest in making his move a top priority this summer. While it's yet to be confirmed, the north London outfit appear to have won the race for the 24-year-old after plenty of twists and turns.
There was an initial wait to start the bidding process due to the Hammers' involvement in the Europa Conference League final at the end of the season. Once that was out of the way, bidding could begin as Arsenal had offers worth a total of £80million and £90million turned away.
Manchester City later joined the race, making an initial offer that threatened their rivals, and while it was turned down there was a price tag that was nearing the £100million mark. It would likely be a case of which team blinked first to reach that huge nine-figure offer, and it was the Gunners that made their move.
An agreement in principle was agreed with West Ham on a move worth a total £105million, leading to City dropping out of the race. All that was left was to iron out some details, such as the payment structure, due to how large the deal is for both clubs and the importance of getting it right.
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With that seemingly done, as well as a medical with the club already, it seems as though things should be coming to a close but there's still one final detail. According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are ready to seal the move once the wording has been confirmed and given the green light from the lawyers.
With that being the case, it seems as though a move is imminent alongside that of Jurrien Timber, who is readying a switch from Ajax worth roughly £40million. Given the money involved, it comes as little surprise that such deals take some time to be concluded in the transfer market.
However, it appears as though the two new signings are close and nearing final confirmation before Arsenal's pre-season matches get underway.
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