Arsenal have made an improved offer worth up to £105million for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
The offer, which Arsenal hope will stave off rivals Manchester City, includes a £100m entry fee and an additional £5m in surcharges.
Should the move go through, it would be a record sum for a British player.
Arsenal had rejected a club record offer worth up to £90m – £75m plus £15m in surcharges – from West Ham earlier in the month.
Manchester City then made a formal offer of an initial £80m with an additional £10m in bids, but this was also rejected.
Arsenal have now stepped up their efforts to meet manager Mikel Arteta’s top summer goal.
Rice’s contract at West Ham expires in 2024 with an option for a one-year extension.
But West Ham chairman David Sullivan said after the club’s Europa Conference League triumph he expected the England international to have played his last game for the club, adding that he “wanted to leave”.
Rice has made 245 appearances for West Ham since his debut in 2017.
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Analysis by Mark Carey
Rice does not jump into the challenge at the first sign of danger. Instead, he patrols midfield, ensures good positional discipline and then intervenes on the defensive at the right moments.
This is reflected in the numbers, where Rice’s 4.2 “true” tackles – meaning tackles plus tackles lost plus fouls committed – per 1,000 opposing touchdowns put him in 62nd place out of a 69-strong group of defensive and central midfielders with over 900 Premier players placed League minutes played last season.
Crucially, Rice’s technique is often the one that has the edge, when he even sets foot in the game.
Nobody in the same pool of 69 players has a better “true” tackle win rate than their 70 percent.
(Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)