Hammers has rejected Arsenal’s second £90 million proposal for Declan Rice.
The sum, which would have been a club record for Arsenal, was thought to be £75 million guaranteed plus £15 million in add-ons, exceeding the £72 million paid to Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
Arsenal offered spreading the original cost over four years and the add-ons over five years provided the conditions were satisfied.
That is far less than West Ham’s £120 million value. If a player has a role in the agreement, the east London club is willing to sell for less money.
The Gunners had earlier suggested £80 million plus add-ons, which would have been paid in installments with a host of strings attached.
Manchester City and Manchester United have both shown an interest in the 24-year-old.
Hammers asking for £120m for Rice
Rice has spent his whole professional career with the Hammers, having taken over as captain from Mark Noble at the start of the season.
In the January transfer window, Arsenal made offers for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo before signing Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea.
However, Mikel Arteta, who depended heavily on Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, and Martin Odegaard as midfielders last season, is eager to bolster that position.
If Arsenal needed any more persuasion to sign Declan Rice, it came just after the half-hour mark of their 2-2 draw with West Ham at the London Stadium in April.
Mikel Arteta’s squad was two goals up and on their way to a win that would have taken them six points ahead of Manchester City. But everything changed with a quick-thinking moment from a player they now aim to recruit as a record signing.
Rice set off on a sprint after spotting Kierney preparing to shoot a pass towards Thomas Partey deep in the Arsenal half, reaching him just in time to take control, then taking the ball into the box and finding the onrushing Lucas Paqueta.
The next penalty, earned by Paqueta and converted by Said Benrahma, turned the game’s momentum away from Arsenal. Perhaps even that of the championship race. It all started with Rice.
It wasn’t the first time he’d raced into the game to put pressure on Partey. “Rice is just trying to show him that he’s going after him,” Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher remarked during co-commentary. He may soon be vying for a spot in the Arsenal squad as well.
