A sense of crisis did not engulf the Emirates Stadium when it became apparent that Manchester City had more than a fleeting interest in Declan Rice. Arsenal were altogether more sanguine than many of their supporters were in social media, a reflection of the simple reality of bidding for one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, a possible England captain of the future who has won as much praise for his attitude as his technical qualities. The chances of signing a player of Rice’s ilk without facing any competition were slim indeed.
On Monday night City formally entered the race after several days of dialogue with West Ham. An offer of £80 million with a further £10 million in add ons got the same response as Arsenal’s second bid (£75 million with a possible further £15 million), a swift rejection from the London Stadium hierarchy, who will be delighted to see their plan coming together. As CBS Sports revealed on June 7, West Ham intended to keep negotiations live for as long as possible in the hope of drawing rival suitors into the fray.
Their patience has been rewarded with the emergence of the richest club in world football as a rival for the affections of Rice, who has long been keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium. If any club can test his resolve it would be the serial champions of England; few players turn down the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, least of all midfielders. There are things that even a club backed by Abu Dhabi’s wealth cannot offer Rice, who has a young family and is keen to stay put in London, while there are also questions over where exactly the West Ham captain would fit into a midfield that has lost Ilkay Gundogan, but is gaining Mateo Kovacic.
Ultimately when it comes to the player, Arsenal have put in leg work over several months, long before CBS Sports first revealed in January that the 24 year old was enamored by the prospect of moving from the east of…
