West Ham United’s captain Declan Rice has become the focal point of a bidding war, as Manchester City becomes the latest club to throw its hat into the ring. After Arsenal’s repeated attempts and their willingess to break their transfer record with a £90million offer, City plans to make a formal approach today to secure the highly-coveted player.
🚨🚨🌕| Manchester City have strongly joined the race to sign Declan Rice. They are working on an official bid to rival Arsenal. [@DiMarzio] pic.twitter.com/E4SbfuU4VZ
— centredevils. (@centredevils) June 22, 2023
Arsenal had put forward an enticing £90m deal, featuring a £75m fee spread across multiple transfer windows and an additional £15m in add-ons. However, the Hammers showed resilience, not giving in to the financial allure. Regardless, the North London club is expected to raise the stakes, particularly as they brace for potential departures of key midfielders, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
Manchester City, on the other hand, sees Rice as an ideal replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who is tipped to join Barcelona this summer as his contract at the Etihad draws to a close. The reigning Premier League champions are ready to present their offer to West Ham this Thursday.
Not to be left behind, Manchester United has also shown interest in the dynamic midfielder, though they are yet to table an offer. According to various sources, the Red Devils are considering proposing a player + cash deal, involving Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire. The rumour mill suggests that West Ham may be intrigued by this proposition. United, however, need to step up their game swiftly if they aim to compete with City and Arsenal’s enticing offers.
Losing a player of Rice’s caliber to their immediate competitors would be a blow the Red Devils can ill-afford.
