Manchester City has reportedly entered the competition to secure the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United. News About Nigeria understands that City’s pursuit of Rice comes as Ilkay Gundogan prepares to join Barcelona on a three-year contract as a free agent.
In an attempt to hijack the player from their top rivals Arsenal, Manchester City is said to be preparing an offer of approximately £100m. This surpasses the two previous bids made by Arsenal, which amounted to £80m and £90m, both of which were rejected by Rice’s current club.
Previously, Arsenal seemed to have a clear path to sign Rice, who is highly regarded as one of the most accomplished young central midfielders in the world.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, believes that the 24-year-old English international would be an ideal replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, who is set to leave the club after a seven-year tenure to join Barcelona on a three-year deal.
Despite already agreeing on a deal with Chelsea for the transfer of midfielder Mateo Kovacic for a fee of £25m plus £5m in add-ons, Manchester City sees Rice as an opportunity they cannot afford to miss out on.
Recognizing that Arsenal is not known for significant spending in the transfer market, Manchester City is eager to secure Rice’s signature by offering £90m, which would become a club record signing fee for the Gunners.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is keen on acquiring Rice due to the quality he would bring to his team, particularly after the player’s impressive performances in the 2022/23 campaign.
Having led the Premier League table for 248 days, the longest duration for a team that failed to win the title in English top-flight history, Arsenal narrowly missed out on the Premier League championship last season.
Regarding personal terms, Manchester City is reportedly ready to offer Rice a lucrative contract worth approximately £200,000 per week. The final decision on whether to accept the latest bid or not now rests with West Ham United.
