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Manchester Blue make a formal proposal for Declan Rice at a guaranteed £80 million plus £10 million in add-ons.
Arsenal are ready to make a third proposal for Declan Rice within 48 hours of Manchester City submitting their formal bid of £90 million for the West Ham captain.
Arsenal will reply shortly with a revision of their initial £90 million offer, which was shot down last week, even if the new bid won’t be a direct response to City’s request.
City’s bid includes a guaranteed £80 million and an additional £10 million in add-ons.
The proposal outperforms Arsenal’s last rejected bid of £75 million guaranteed and an extra £15 million in incentives.
Although it is uncertain whether West Ham will accept City’s offer, the bid will focus Arsenal’s efforts to sign Rice, Mikel Arteta’s top aim.
West Ham values Rice at £100 million, which City has fallen short of.
West Ham appeared to be planning to reject City’s offer on Monday night.
Manchester Blue racing with the Gunners for West Ham’s Rice
According to sources, Arsenal’s third bid will be closer to the Hammers’ £100 million estimate.
The payment arrangement is also a consideration, with the Hammers preferring that the guaranteed component of Rice’s price be paid in two installments before 2025.
Rice has been extensively linked with Arsenal since before the transfer season began, but no agreement has been reached.
Meanwhile, City have lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona. Barcelona confirmed on Monday that they had signed the German international on a two-year contract.
City are close to acquiring Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for £25 million, but they still want Rice.
Rice’s enormous Premier League experience (he has played over 200 times in the division) makes him an appealing possibility, as does the fact that at the age of 24, he still has time to grow.
Arsenal is reportedly close to signing Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65 million.
Mikel Arteta’s team has also increased their bid for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber to £41.5 million.
As part of this summer’s midfield makeover, Rice is of special interest to them. Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka is likely to join Bayer Leverkusen and Thomas Partey potentially leaving.
Arteta views Rice as a future captain for Arsenal.
If Arsenal were unable to get Rice, Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana may be a viable alternative.
