It is no secret that Arsenal want to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice during the summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta's side have so far seen two offers for Rice rejected by the Hammers, who are holding out for around £100million. Manchester City are also keen to sign the England international following Ilkay Gundogan's decision to leave the Etihad Stadium for Barcelona.
football.london understands that the Gunners will beat the Premier League champions to Rice if they either table an offer that exceeds £100million or one which guarantees a significant fee to be paid upfront. Now, The Mirror have reported that City will only launch an official bid if the 24-year-old gives them assurances that he wants to join them.
It is claimed that Rice's preferred destination is Arsenal, which was the reason Bayern Munich ended their interest in signing him. If this desire doesn't change, then City won't make a bid for him.
One advantage the Gunners have in negotiations is the fact they are of course based in London, where Rice was born and raised. Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap Extra last year, the talented midfielder said: "'I'm here [Kingston] all the time.
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"I've always wanted to stay close to this place. I feel like I don't want to lose my roots." During an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Arteta was asked about his side's interest in Rice but he refused to talk about the West Ham skipper.
Asked if the England international was worth the fee being demanded by the Hammers, Arteta replied: "I can't talk about players who are not in the club. I prefer not to say anything."
