Manchester City’s interest in the midfielder has prompted an improved bid (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal are not giving up on signing Declan Rice despite a rival move from Manchester City and are preparing a third bid for the midfielder, according to reports.
The Gunners have identified the West Ham skipper as their number one target this summer but have already had two bids rejected.
Arsenal’s second offer was believed to be worth around £90m, though around £15m was made up of add-ons and it was payable over a number of years.
West Ham balked at the proposal and want a guaranteed fee of £100m in fewer instalments, with the impasse opening the door for Premier League champions City to make a rival move.
Although Pep Guardiola is already close to securing a deal for Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan’s exit has necessitated a move for another midfielder and the treble winners are stepping up their pursuit of Rice.
City have yet to lodge an official bid but they are expected to get closer to West Ham’s asking price, and that has put the pressure on Arsenal to return with an improved offer of their own.
According to The Mirror, that is exactly what the Gunners will do and they are ready to make a third bid that will get closer to the £100m fixed fee West Ham want.
Rice is ready to leave West Ham this summer (Picture: Getty)
The Daily Mail are also reporting that West Ham believe a third offer, much closer to their asking price, will arrive imminently – though as of Friday evening it is yet to arrive.
Arsenal are quietly confident of beating City to Rice’s signature and have put a lot of ground work into convincing the midfielder to move to north London.
The 24-year-old is happy and settled in the capital and reluctant to uproot his young family, which plays into Arsenal’s favour.
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Hammers chairman David Sullivan has already confirmed that Rice can leave if a suitable offer is received, telling 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.’
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Manchester City’s interest in the midfielder has prompted an improved bid.