Arsenal have tonight submitted a HUGE offer for West Ham captain Declan Rice.
Arsenal made an opening bid for Declan Rice about two weeks ago after multiple reports since January suggested they would make a move for the player. This bid was valued at £80million which was rejected by West Ham in a couple of minutes.
Arsenal made a second bid last week of £95million for the England International which was also rejected. However things stepped up a notch when Manchester City entered the race by matching the Gunners’ £95million bid, however with a better payment structure. Their bid was also rejected by West Ham as they hold out for over £100million.
Declan Rice has been Arsenal’s number one target all summer and they weren’t going to give up without a fight. Tonight the Gunners have submitted a third offer for the West Ham captain of £100million + £5million worth of add-ons.
Arsenal promised Declan Rice they would pay whatever it takes to bring him to North London this summer. The club made it clear to the player months ago they would do whatever it takes to get him & in return Arsenal became Declan Rice’s number one priority. After speaking with Mikel Arteta and hearing this, the player only wanted Arsenal despite interest from Manchester City.
That’s why Arsenal have been so confident all along, even despite Manchester City entering the race and now the club want it wrapped up as soon as possible. The Gunners are hopefully their offer of over £100million will be enough for West Ham to accept.
Josh Kroenke has also played a big part in negotiations, as well as Edu, over the last 48 hours. With a deal of this size, the Arsenal owner wanted to be involved in the negotiations to make sure the club done everything it could to get the deal over the line.
It remains to be seen whether Manchester City will match Arsenal’s offer, however even if they do the North London outfit remain confident Declan Rice wants to move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of next season.
READ MORE: Arsenal target French midfielder as Thomas Partey replacement.
Arsenal are confident they will agree a fee for Declan Rice soon. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
It’s been reported Declan Rice ideally wants to stay in London which gives Arsenal the advantage over Manchester City in the race for the England international’s signature. As long as the Gunners can match whatever City offer West Ham, then it will go down to the players’ preference and it’s expected Declan Rice will choose to play under Mikel Arteta next season, over Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Arsenal are confident their third bid will be the one that closes the deal as they have prepared an improved payment structure and more money upfront to offer West Ham.
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Arsenal have been linked with many big names in the past and have ended up missing out on the player. The latest example being Mykhaylo Mudryk in January. Arsenal had two bids rejected for the Ukrainian before Chelsea swooped in and stole the player. This is why so many Arsenal fans are nervous about the Rice situation.
However the Gunners also had two rejected bids from Manchester City for Gabriel Jesus before they ended up agreeing on a fee. The Brazilian rejected the likes of Chelsea, who had Champions League football to offer him, because he had his heart set on joining Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. The club are confident Declan Rice’s preference won’t change, which is why Arsenal are trying to get the best deal possible for their potential record signing.
Arsenal have been on an upward trajectory since Mikel Arteta took over as head coach. They even challenged league giants Manchester CIty in the 2022/23 season for the Premier League title which very few people predicted at the start of the campaign. It is very clear that the club is heading in the right direction which is why so many players are attracted to the North London outfit this summer.
Mikel Arteta is leading one of Europe’s most exciting projects and the Arsenal boss is confident Declan Rice will be a part of it at the Emirates Stadium next season. With many new long-term contract extensions being agreed, as well as new signings such as Champions League winner Kai Havertz, Arsenal are looking to push again for the Premier League title next season and hopefully this time go one step further.
Arsenal want Declan Rice and it seems like Rice wants Arsenal. The club are confident the deal will be wrapped up soon. The Gunners are also close to signing Jurrien Timber from Ajax and are keeping a close eye on Romeo Lavia from Southampton.
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