Manchester City are expected to make an opening bid for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice on Thursday.
Arsenal had a club-record bid of up to £90m (includes £75m and £15m in add-ons) rejected by their Premier League rivals earlier this week, but Arsenal are believed to be close to the fee they would expect. paid by the West. Hamm aims to see if their captain will leave.
the athlete It reported earlier this month that Premier League champions City were also actively looking for their own approach to the 24-year-old, who is now set to follow up with an official offer.
City are already set to complete a deal for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic imminently, with Barcelona set to move Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer.
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Rice remains Arsenal’s main target this summer, with Mikel Arteta prioritizing strengthening their midfield.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan said after the club’s Europa League triumph that he expected Rice to have played his last game for the club, adding that he “wants to go”.
Rice’s contract at West Ham expires in 2024, with the option of a one-year extension.
He has made 245 appearances for West Ham since making his debut in 2017.
Go deeper
Declan Rice’s future: Who is better for him at Arsenal or Manchester City?
Analysis by JJ Bull
Rice is one of the best players in Europe at breaking up opposition attacks. He can recover the ball, but then carries it downfield, turning defensive play into attacking.
His reading of the game is top notch – seems instinctive – and that’s what he does really well: anticipating, timing, and making decisions.
West Ham often play a 4-2-3-1 and Rice is one of their central midfielders, often alongside Tomas Soucek. He’s the one who forms a defensive triangle to build up from behind and is always available to receive a pass.
But splitting play is where his real strength lies, with patrolling the middle of the field so no counter-attacks can breach it.
(Photo: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
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