Arsenal saw their opening bid for Declan Rice rejected with Manchester CIty’s interest in the West Ham captain sparking several questions.
This would be the case in any scenario and as Arsenal move for a higher calibre of star as their own stock rises with a return to title challenges and Champions League competition then so will the level of opposition they face for those players. Man City possess significant financial might and the guarantee of trophies and title challenges to boot, Arsenal meanwhile are selling a project under Mikel Arteta that has seen massive player improvement and the aim of winning trophies in the near future.
At Man City the presence of Rodri presents Declan Rice with a choice were he to move to the Etihad Stadium. Minutes would not be as readily available although that said when the Citizens signed Jack Grealish for an English record fee, he too had to be patient for regular game time but it did eventually come.
For Arsenal meanwhile, their ambition to sign Rice has been well documented and it is understands that the Gunners are indeed his preferred destination, supported by a desire to stay in London. The opening bid of £80million plus at least £10million was rejected and deemed derisory by West Ham, but this is very normal in negotiations for the first offer to be turned down.
The higher you start, the higher the end price can be. There is seemingly a willingness from Arsenal to pay beyond £100 million for Rice but the clubs need to come to an agreement on the structure of the amount paid up front, in addition to the scale and outline of the add-ons.
The somewhat sudden emergence of Manchester City in the race for Rice is slightly misguided. City have always had an appreciation for the England international going back some years. With the 24-year-old on the move this summer, their presence in any talk of his transfer was inevitable.
But the timing of the first bid being rejected, and Man City’s name suddenly thrust back into the public eye as a potential suitor certainly benefits the selling club. West Ham have never wanted a quick resolution to the Rice saga despite needing to find a replacement themselves.
Of course, his sale occurring relatively early on in the window, allowing more than a month to spend any funds raised before the season starts would be preferable, is better but with the window having been open mere hours there’s no urgency from the Hammers’ side. Why would there be?
