June 26, (THEWILL) – Manchester City have officially submitted a bid for Declan Rice, the captain of West Ham United.
The bid comes after news last week stated that City would compete with Arsenal for Rice’s services by making an initial offer. Hoping to outmanoeuvre Arsenal in the race, the English Premier League champions have put forward an offer of £80 million initially, with an additional £10 million in potential add-ons.
While Arsenal continue their pursuit of the West Ham midfielder, City’s bid has gained momentum, considering that West Ham rejected Arsenal’s club-record proposal earlier this month. Arsenal’s rejected offer comprised a £75 million fee and £15 million in add-ons. This situation has left the door open and Pep Guardiola’s side is eager to secure Rice’s signature without a drawn out bidding war.
Rice’s contract with the Hammers is set to expire in 2024, with the option for a one-year extension. The club’s chairman, David Sullivan, expressed his belief that Rice had played his last game for the club following West Ham’s victory in the Europa Conference League. He remarked that his expectation was that the England international really “wanted to go”.
The 24-year-old has been an integral part of West Ham since his debut in 2017, accumulating 245 appearances. Meanwhile, City is on the verge of finalising a deal for Chelsea midfielder, Mateo Kovacic, after bidding farewell to Ilkay Gundogan, who is joining Barcelona on a free transfer.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
