West Ham United reaction emerges as Manchester City table £90m Declan Rice transfer bid to beat Arsenal – Sky Sports
West Ham are expected to reject Manchester City’s first official bid for Declan Rice as it still falls short of their asking price, according to Sky Sports.
The treble winners tabled an offer of £80million guaranteed with £10million more in add-ons late Monday night (26 June), making it the best so far after Arsenal’s second reached the same total but with £75million guaranteed.
The Irons want at least nine figures and as much as £120million to let their captain leave this summer, after a gentleman’s agreement between the 24-year-old and chairman David Sullivan.
There had been some question as to whether Pep Guardiola’s side would make an official offer, with Rice thought to prefer a move to the Emirates, but although they have now entered the bidding “early indications” are that it will be dismissed just as the Gunners’ first two bids were, Sky Sports reports.
Creeping up
If West Ham were hoping that the champions arriving into the equation would immediately shoot the bidding up towards their target clearly they are going to be disappointed.
It looks like the increases are going to be incremental and minimal so how long this could yet take is unclear, but in terms of helping the Irons get what they want this should be a positive development.
This offer arriving may also indicate that Rice has given some sort of encouragement to City in terms of a willingness to move to the Etihad should they ultimately come out on top.
He is not expected to become a bit-part player in Manchester in the way his England teammate Kalvin Phillips did after leaving Leeds United last summer, but his prospects of immediately becoming a vital part of the XI are thought to be stronger under Mikel Arteta.
The Hammers have been linked to Phillips as a Rice replacement for the past two seasons, and may prefer to sell the skipper to City if it increases their prospects of landing the 27-year-old in return, despite his intentions to remain where he is.
It is little surprise that the third bid is set to go the way of the first two in the race to sign Rice but it appears a bidding war is now on the cards.
In other West Ham news, a current Elland Road man has also emerged as a target at the London Stadium this summer.