Arsenal’s Declan Rice transfer hijacked as Man City to submit ‘formal bid’ today

Manchester City are reportedly expected to submit an opening offer for West Ham captain Declan Rice imminently. Arsenal have widely been regarded as favourites to land the midfielder but have seen two bids for his services rejected already this summer, leaving the door open for rivals to enter the race.

Rice enjoyed a sensational campaign with West Ham last season, being the driving force behind their push to avoid relegation whilst also guiding David Moyes’ side to victory in the Europa Conference League final.

The victory against Fiorentina appeared to be the perfect note for the skipper to end his spell at the London Stadium on, amid interest from some of the Premier League’s top clubs. Arsenal worked hard to convince Rice of their project and the playmaker is said to be keen to head to the Emirates Stadium – though it is far from a one-horse race.

With Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona, City have turned their attention to Rice and are expected to pursue the 24-year-old vigorously.  According to The Athletic, City are expected to lodge their opening offer for the midfielder on Thursday as they enter the race – much to the disappointment of Arsenal.

The Gunners have already seen two bids for Rice rejected by their London rivals, though there was a growing feeling that a deal could be reached imminently. City’s move therefore throws a major spanner in the works for Mikel Arteta’s side, who must now assess whether they table a rival bid imminently or hope that the rival bid is rejected.

Arsenal’s most recent proposal was a club record which accumulated to £90million – with £75m guaranteed and £15m potentially being paid through add-ons. However, the Gunners’ desire to pay the base fee across five years proved a sticking point in negotiations and saw the bid knocked back quickly.

City could be tempted to take a different approach with West Ham knowing that Moyes will need to replace his captain urgently this summer. Kalvin Phillips is of interest to the Hammers and would be a ready-made replacement for the Hammers, though the ex-Leeds playmaker would need to be convinced to leave the Etihad Stadium given his recent statement claiming that he will be a City player next season.

If Arsenal miss out on Rice then they will be forced to turn their attention to alternative targets given that Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are expected to be sold. Arteta’s side hold an interest in Brighton star Moises Caicedo and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia – though Chelsea are keen on both too.