Arsenal now in advanced talks to sign Declan Rice amid West Ham United exit development
Arsenal are said to be locked in advanced discussions with West Ham to sign Declan Rice after a revelation from the player to his current club, as reported by the Sun.
It has been stated that Rice has made it clear he has no intention of signing for Chelsea whilst two other interested parties have now distanced themselves from what will be one of the biggest deals in Europe this summer.
Bayern Munich have cooled their pursuit of the midfielder whilst Manchester United have baulked at the size of the fee required to prise the England international away from the London Stadium.
The latest detail from the Sun presented the above information as well as further info on the numbers involved in the negotiations.
“That has left the way clear for Arsenal to complete their priority signing of the summer and negotiations with West Ham are now at an advanced stage,” it said.
“The Gunners are looking to pay a club record £90m for Rice, while the Hammers value him at £110m.
“It is expected that the two clubs will agree on a £100m compromise, with the potential for a further £10m in bonus payments and add-ons.”
Matter of time
It appears to be little more than a formality now, for Rice to become an Arsenal player.
Whilst that is by far the most likely outcome, and possibly the only remaining one at this stage, there is still work to be done at the Gunners’ end to bring the supremely talented players into their squad.
The exact fee and the structure of the deal still need to be thrashed out and as much as Hammers chiefs are wanting to maximise their sale, it is clear that there is a deal to be done.
West Ham knows all about the player’s wishes so they cannot afford to play their hand too strong, but a compromise doesn’t seem too far away in what will be the desired outcome for Rice.
He will get to play in the Champions League, with a better overall standard of players around him but he will certainly miss the stature and platform that he enjoys as the main man at West Ham, club captain and talisman.
It is now surely just a matter of time before the transfer happens