“Arsenal Secure £105m Deal to Acquire West Ham Midfielder Declan Rice”

Manchester City has decided to withdraw from the race to acquire the services of Declan Rice, as they have chosen not to match Arsenal’s astonishing £105 million offer for the talented English midfielder.

This decision by City comes after their initial bid of £90 million was turned down by West Ham United earlier this week. City’s stance now paves the way for Arsenal to potentially finalize their long-awaited signing of the 24-year-old midfielder.

Manchester City has a track record of stepping back from deals when they exceed their own valuation of a player. Since the Abu Dhabi takeover granted them significant financial power in the transfer market, they have been cautious about engaging in bidding wars for their targets.

In the previous season, they expressed interest in Marc Cucurella from Brighton but ultimately decided to withdraw, allowing Chelsea to complete a £60 million deal unchallenged.

The case of Harry Maguire also demonstrates City’s resolute approach. Manchester United secured Maguire’s services for over £80 million in 2019, as well as making subsequent signings like Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexis Sanchez, and Fred after City had explored potential moves.

At present, Arsenal and West Ham are in advanced negotiations regarding Declan Rice’s future, focusing on the intricate details of a possible transfer. However, it appears that West Ham remains dissatisfied with the proposed payment structure put forward by Arsenal.

The bid submitted by Arsenal on Tuesday is worth a guaranteed £100 million, with an additional £5 million in potential add-ons. This proposal would shatter Arsenal’s transfer record and position Rice as one of the most expensive players in football history.

Arsenal has harbored confidence for several months that Rice is eager to make the move to the Emirates Stadium, and their third offer reflects their determination to rebuild their midfield around the talented 24-year-old.

If an agreement is reached whereby Arsenal pays a guaranteed £100 million for Rice, his base fee would be on par with the £100 million City paid for Jack Grealish during the summer of 2021.

With add-ons included, Rice would become the second most expensive British player of all time, trailing only his England teammate Jude Bellingham. Bellingham’s recent transfer to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund could amount to £115 million if all add-ons are met, in addition to an initial fee of £88.5 million.