Arsenal have made a third bid for West Ham United captain Declan Rice.
If the deal goes through, it would not only break Arsenal’s all-time transfer record, but also become a British transfer record – beating what Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
The Gunners have been chasing Rice all summer but have seen two bids rejected with the latest worth up to £90m. West Ham demanded more than £100m during the negotiations.
Manchester City also tabled a £90m bid on Tuesday, which was also rejected by West Ham. Although Arsenal returned with a third bid and 90 minutes is understood to be hoping West Ham will accept.
The offer on the table is worth a total of £105m, with £100m guaranteed and a further £5m in add-ons.
Arsenal are working quickly to give Mikel Arteta the team he needs to mount another title challenge in 2024 and are already close to securing deals for Chelsea’s Kai Havertz and Ajax’s Jurrien Timber, who are likely to stand over 100 million pounds.
If West Ham accept their bid for Rice, that figure could soon rise to £200m within days.
Rice has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal, having made it clear to all parties that a move to the Emirates was his preferred move this summer.