West Ham United have immediately knocked back Arsenal's opening approach for club captain Declan Rice.
The Hammers skipper is expected to leave this summer as he goes in search of Champions League football, but the east London side will demand a significant fee. Arsenal are among the front-runners in the chase for the 24-year-old, with Bayern Munich cooling their interest in the England star.
Arsenal are expected to return with a fresh approach as they look to unite Rice with a number of his international colleagues at club level. However, they could yet be rivalled by Manchester City for the signing.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal have made an initial approach following a meeting between executive Tim Lewis and Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady. However, The Guardian reports that this has been rejected by Rice's current club, with the BBC suggesting the Hammers are not happy with the size or structure of the deal.
The Athletic's report also claims City are "actively" exploring the possibility of a bid for Rice. Pep Guardiola's side brought in his England colleague Kalvin Phillips last summer, but the former Leeds man struggled to make an impact in his first season.
Rice's current West Ham deal ends in 2024, with an option to extend it by a further year. However, with the midfielder showing no inclination to sign an extension, the club are expected to cash in this summer.
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Rice played the full 90 minutes in Prague as West Ham beat Fiorentina to win the Europa Conference League - their first trophy of the 21st century. In the aftermath of the game, though, owner David Sullivan dropped the biggest hint yet that the captain would leave this summer.
"I think it has to be [his farewell game]," Sullivan told talkSPORT. "We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. 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."
After helping his club secure European glory, Rice linked up with the England squad for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. The World Cup squad member played 90 minutes in each of the first two qualifying matches back in March, scoring in a victory over Italy.
