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The future of Declan Rice has been a major talking point this summer, but now the season has finished we’re finally starting to see some headway regarding a transfer away from West Ham United. Several clubs have been linked with his signature, not just in the Premier League but also across Europe.
It has since been reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano that an offer from Arsenal for Declan Rice has been rejected. This bid was in the region of £80million, and whilst many will think that is a problem, it is understood that Arsenal expected this bid to be turned down.
Arsenal will bid again after advantage on personal terms discussed with Declan Rice. No doubts. ⚪️? #AFC
Gunners consider £80m opening bid as way to start concrete negotiations with West Ham but also know timing will be crucial to avoid hijacks. ⤵️ https://t.co/FH5kV9Nwtq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 15, 2023
By making an official bid, West Ham will now have to engage in direct negotiations with Arsenal to try and come to an agreement over a fee. Following West Ham’s UEFA Europa Conference League Final victory over Fiorentina recently, club owner David Sullivan revealed to talkSPORT that the box-to-box midfield has played his final game for the club.
Sky Sports claims that Arsenal are somewhat short in terms of the price West Ham would be willing to allow Rice to leave the club. £120million is indeed the precise value that the club would want, however they’d consider closer to £100million if Arsenal would also offer one of their players as part of the agreement.
Romano states that personal terms would not be a problem in this deal, meaning it is merely the two clubs needing to work out a price being the only major equation that needs to be solved here. Rice is currently away on international duty as England prepare for European Championship Qualification clashes against Malta and North Macedonia.
It would seem likely that in the next week or so Arsenal will make their next move in the Declan Rice deal. With whispers of Manchester City also keeping an eye on developments, it is perhaps no forgone conclusion that the 24-year-old will be signing for the Emirates Stadium club. It has become something of a transfer saga, but Rice still has two-years left on his West Ham contract.
Declan Rice: What happens next?
If Manchester City were to enter the picture, then it would really open up a completely new conversation. It would be quite a decision for Rice to have to make, but choosing between the top-two from last season’s Premier League is no bad thing!
For Rice himself, he is purely concentrating on England and getting six points from their upcoming games. He celebrated after West Ham’s UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, but for now, he won’t be worried about any transfer dealings and his people will take charge of this.
Once the North Macedonia game is over with next week, then Rice will have to really consider his options. It remains to be seen if any other club will enter the race. Bayern Munich were long mentioned with buying the midfielder, but Rice may perhaps wish to stay closer to home. If he did, staying in London would clearly benefit Arsenal, but turning down Pep Guardiola wouldn’t be easy.
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