West Ham REJECT Arsenal’s £90m opening bid for Declan Rice as Man City emerge as rivals

West Ham have rejected Arsenal’s opening bid as the north London club races to sign star midfielder Declan Rice as Manchester City emerge as shocking rivals prepare to compete for the signature of the Hammers captain.

The north London club has long been the favored option ahead of a likely summer move from the England star, despite overtures from a number of top clubs.

Rivals to secure Rice’s services have included Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but their interest has waned after facing the reality of Rice’s reported desire to join Mikel Arteta.

Bayern Munich finalized their interest in the 24-year-old on Tuesday, despite head coach Thomas Tuchel’s desire for him to sign the club’s record, their unwillingness to compete with Arsenal’s financial strength also played a role.

The Hammers believe their player is worth a whopping £110 million, and co-chairman Daniel Sullivan’s hopes that a series of suitors will boost each other’s bids may yet materialize.

Mikel Arteta (left) has prioritized the midfielder as the hub of the Gunners’ summer transfer window, but his plans could be thwarted by his mentor Pep Guardiola (right)

Arsenal were reported to have opened talks with West Ham on Wednesday, with Arsenal’s vice-chairman Tim Lewis and his counterpart Karren Brady discussing a possible bid as Premier League clubs met at their annual AGM.

While Arsenal are willing to pay close to West Ham’s asking price, their opening bid was believed to be £80m plus £10m in add-ons.

West Ham are said to be interested in what Man City can offer the player, further delaying The Gunners’ plans to make a quick move towards their number 1 transfer target.

The Hammers are also said to be disappointed with the way Arsenal wanted to structure the deal over four years.

Mail Sport reported on Wednesday that West Ham wanted Rice’s guaranteed share of the transfer fee for their player by 2025.

West Ham were one of the clubs featured on UEFA’s financial fairplay watch list last September and are looking to get the full money into their account as soon as possible to ensure they stay comfortably within the laws.

The Treble winners’ interest in Rice comes after the midfielder has been at the center of rivals United’s transfer ambitions for weeks.

In recent days, the Red Devils’ transfer energies have been largely focused on securing the talents of Rice’s friend and England team-mate, Mason Mount.

The England star became the first West Ham captain to lift a European trophy since 1965 with Hammers’ Europa Conference League victory

The European champions are not yet fully on the transfer market and are only working on a possible deal for Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic.

But Pep Guardiola’s side could still face some high-profile departures, with the futures of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva currently uncertain.

On Thursday, Mail Sport reported that England international Kyle Walker may watch from the Etihad this summer after a failed start in City’s Champions League final on Saturday.

Walker is said to have seen his omission as a “massive disappointment.”