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 this summer but have seen two bids for his services rejected already this summer, leaving the door open for rivals to enter the race. And now City are set to challenge for his signature by submitting a huge offer to West Ham.

With Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona, City have turned their attention to Rice and are set to pursue the 24-year-old as a long-term replacement. According to The Athletic, City are expected to lodge their opening offer for the midfielder on Thursday as they enter the race, which could cause a headache for Arsenal.

Rice enjoyed a sensational campaign with the Hammers 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 have been working hard to convince Rice of their project and the playmaker is understood to be keen to head to the Emirates Stadium, but it is far from a one-horse race.

The Gunners have already seen two bids for Rice turned down by their London rivals, although there was a growing feeling that a deal could be reached in the coming weeks. City’s move will throw 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 City’s offer is snubbed.

Arsenal’s most recent proposal included a club-record £90million fee – 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 has attracted interest from the Hammers and would be a ready-made replacement for Rice, although it would take some effort to convince the ex-Leeds man to leave the Etihad Stadium given his recent declaration that he will be a City player next season.

If Arsenal miss out on Rice, they could turn their attention to alternative targets given that Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are likely to be sold. Arteta’s side hold an interest in Brighton star Moises Caicedo and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia but could face competitionf for the pair, as Chelsea keen on both youngsters.