Manchester City have pulled out of the race to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice after Arsenal made an increased bid worth up to £105million.
City had backed Arsenal’s £90m proposal and had offered a higher sum upfront, but both offers were rejected.
But Arsenal returned on Tuesday night with an initial transfer fee of £100m and an additional £5m in surcharges.
Arsenal and West Ham are currently negotiating the payment structure, but the move from the north London side has prompted City to back out of a potential deal.
Arsenal stepped up their efforts to meet manager Mikel Arteta’s top summer goal.
Should the move go through, it would be a record transfer fee for a British player in the Premier League.
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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)