The race to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice is beginning to head up in what could be one of the biggest transfers of the summer window.
Arsenal and Manchester City battled it out for last season's Premier League title and they are both fighting again, this time to prise Rice away from David Moyes' side. The Gunners have seen two bids for their priority target rejected by the Hammers, who are holding out for £100million.
City then entered the fray with an offer of their own on Monday night. football.london understands their offer was £80million guaranteed with an additional £10million in add-ons and the bid was rejected by the east London club.
On first inspection, it doesn't seem much higher than Arsenal's most recent offer, which was £75million+£15million but football.london understands that the Citizens' offered more upfront compared to the north Londoners whilst also paying in fewer instalments. Their add-ons were also seen as more achievable, which has been key for West Ham.
Arsenal are expected to return with an offer of their own soon as Mikel Arteta's side look to land the 24-year-old in a deal that would make him their club-record signing. The £72million spent on Nicolas Pepe currently remains the most the Gunners have ever spent on a player.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan has made it no secret that Rice has likely played his last game in a claret and blue strip, admitting so after his side won the Europa Conference League. Speaking about his skipper on talkSPORT earlier this month, Sullivan said: "I think it has to be [Rice's final game for West Ham]. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going.
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"You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement – or several replacements.
"It’s not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It’s cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there."
