Man City pull OUT of the race for Declan Rice after Arsenal’s £105m bid
BREAKING NEWS: Man City pull out of the race for Declan Rice after refusing to match Arsenal’s £105m offer – which has NOT been accepted – as West Ham are in talks with the Gunners this morning
Manchester City have withdrawn from the race to sign Declan Rice after Arsenal made a £105 million bid.
Mail Sport understands that the Premier League champions are unwilling to stretch to those numbers in their pursuit of the midfielder and will now move on.
Pep Guardiola had targeted the England international with 43 caps to sit alongside Rodri in City’s midfield, even though Arsenal had gone all out and prioritized catching the 24-year-old to secure another chance at to lead the Premier League title.
The Gunners offered £100 million on Tuesday, plus £5 million in add-ons, and City have made it clear they don’t want to match those numbers. Rice is ready to tell West Ham to accept the offer in a huge boost for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.
However, their offer has not been accepted, with well-placed sources indicating that negotiations are continuing, mainly over the structure of the deal.
Manchester City have ended their interest in signing Declan Rice following Arsenal’s £105 million bid
Pep Guardiola’s side have ended their interest in the West Ham star and will not make a new offer
As Mail Sport revealed earlier this month, the Hammers want the guaranteed portion of the fee to be paid in early 2025, preferably in two installments.
It is clear that Arsenal want to pay the fee over a five-year period.
And talks about reaching a middle ground on the structure of the deal will continue on Wednesday morning, with Arsenal desperate to reach an agreement as they try to secure Rice’s arrest.
Their bid surpasses West Ham’s £100 million valuation for the England star.
The two clubs are now in talks to finalize a deal that will make Rice the most expensive British player of all time, surpassing the £100 million Man City paid for Jack Grealish.
Arsenal have made significant efforts in recent seasons to make up ground on their rivals, with the expected signing of Rice alongside £65 million Kai Havertz another indication of renewed purchasing power.
City, meanwhile, are taking stock of their options ahead of the new season, but pressing ahead with a move for RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol.
They had a tentative interest in Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, who is currently finalizing a £40 million move to Tottenham Hotspur.
