Arsenal have made a bold move in their pursuit of West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice by submitting a third bid valued at a whopping £105m.
This comes on the heels of Manchester City’s unsuccessful £90m offer for the 24-year-old player earlier this week, as the treble-winning side has decided not to match the Gunners’ latest bid, thereby pulling out of the race to sign the West Ham captain.
Arsenal’s previous two bids had been turned down by West Ham, as they fell short of the £100m price tag set by the Hammers. However, sources indicate that West Ham is not satisfied with the structure of the most recent bid, raising doubts about its acceptance.
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While Rice’s current contract at the London Stadium is set to expire in 2024, there is an option for a one-year extension until the summer of 2025. If Arsenal’s bid of an initial £100m with an additional £5m in add-ons proves successful, it would match the British record fee Manchester City paid for midfielder Jack Grealish.
In a notable transfer deal earlier this month, England midfielder Jude Bellingham secured a move to Real Madrid for an initial fee of £88.5m, with the potential for the deal to rise to £115m if certain add-ons are triggered.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan expressed his belief that Rice would most likely depart the club this summer following their Europa Conference League triumph over Fiorentina.
The highly regarded midfielder has netted an impressive 15 goals in 245 appearances for West Ham since making his debut during the 2016-17 season after progressing through the club’s academy ranks. Furthermore, Rice has earned 41 caps for England, featuring in all five of their matches during the previous World Cup.
