Man City 'are expected to make an opening offer' for Declan Rice TODAY
BREAKING NEWS: Man City will blow the race to sign Declan Rice wide open as they prepare to make an imminent offer in a bid to beat rivals Arsenal and Man United to the £100m West Ham captain
- Man City are set to make an opening offer for Declan Rice on Thursday
- Arsenal have had two bids – the latest worth £90million – rejected by West Ham
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West Ham expect Manchester City to make an offer for Declan Rice following Ilkay Gundogan’s decision to join Barcelona.
City are weighing up an official offer for the Hammers skipper with the London club now anticipating that an offer for Rice is imminent.
Arsenal have already seen two offers for Rice turned down, the latest a bid worth £90million.
Rice’s preference has been to join the Emirates Stadium club.
But it now remains to be seen whether City’s emergence as a genuine contender for his signature sparks a change in heart.
West Ham expect Manchester City to make an offer for their captain Declan Rice
Man City boss Pep Guardiola (left) is set to rival Mikel Arteta (right) for Rice’s signature
Arsenal will return with a third offer for No 1 target Rice.
As revealed by Mail Sport on Tuesday – the Gunners’ new bid, believed to be worth £75m in guaranteed cash with an extra £15m in add ons – was turned down as the Hammers continue to hold out for a minimum £100m.
Well-placed sources had indicated an expectation that Arsenal’s second offer would worth a minimum £90m plus further performance-related incentives pushing the deal closer to £100m.
However, the Gunners’ latest offer has fallen short of Hammers chairman David Sullivan’s valuation.
Arsenal will make a third offer for the England international having seen their original bid worth £80m turned down earlier this month.
It has been indicated to Mail Sport that Arsenal are willing to meet Rice’s £100m valuation. Their next offer will be closer to that mark.
Personal terms – well in-excess of £200,000-a-week – will be formally sealed quickly once West Ham and Arsenal agree a fee.
But it remains to be seen if City’s interest scuppers the expectation that Rice will move to Arsenal.
Arsenal boss Arteta wants to wrap up a deal quickly, with personal terms broadly agreed
Rice was told he could leave West Ham this summer but the club have rejected Arsenal’s bids
Ilkay Gundogan was putting the finishing touches on a move to Barcelona on Wednesday
City are in the market for midfield reinforcements with captain Ilkay Gundogan putting the finishing touches on a move to Barcelona.
Gundogan, 32, is set to sign a two-year deal at the Nou Camp once his City contract expires.
City fought to keep their captain but he has opted to leave after securing an historic Treble.
The Premier League champions have also agreed a deal for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, worth an initial £25m.
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