A £100m plus bid from Arsenal for West Ham captain Declan Rice is believed to be imminent. Whilst the club have received no official interest from the North Londoners an offer is expected this week. In fact any Rice deal could happen in days with the transfer window opening tomorrow.
Rice’s representatives led by his father are thought to have already agreed terms with Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal may not have made official contact with West Ham yet, but it is believed the deal will happen quickly.
Rice informed the club of his decision to leave and stated that Arsenal was his preferred destination. As a result both Bayern Munich and Manchester United have decided to look elsewhere to bolster their squads.
An early resolution would be best for all concerned. With the summer transfer window upon us, a £100m Arsenal bid is expected imminently.
British record transfer fee?
The deal is understood to be a guaranteed £90 million with £15-20 performance based add-ons. The final figure is below what the Hammers have demanded but does involve a significant initial sum.
Declan’s insistence on joining only Arsenal has has led to less competition, and a slightly lower fee, Given that circumstance I think West Ham will do well to get close to a figure which could still be a British transfer record.
If the Declan Rice transfer is concluded as early as next week it will allow the Hammers to crack on with their own purchases.
Fulham’s Joao Palhinha has been mentioned as a potential Rice replacement but his £50m price seems excessive.