Arsenal's Audacious £105m Move Sends Shockwaves as Manchester City Withdraw from Declan Rice Pursuit

Manchester City have withdrawn from the competition to secure the services of West Ham's midfielder Declan Rice, following Arsenal's third bid of £105m.

Previously, City's offer of £90m was turned down by West Ham on Tuesday, which consisted of £80m as the base amount and an additional £10m in add-ons for the talented English midfielder.

However, Pep Guardiola's team has made the decision not to match or exceed Arsenal's £105m offer for Rice. Instead, the Gunners have proposed an initial payment of £100m, along with £5m in add-ons based on performance.

Image:

Declan Rice's preferred next destination is Arsenal

Man City's strategy of not exceeding their own valuation on players is evident in their decision to withdraw from the race to sign Rice. This approach has previously been demonstrated with players like Harry Maguire, who ultimately joined Manchester United, as well as Jorginho and Marc Cucarella, both of whom chose to join Chelsea. In each of these cases, Man City was willing to let the players go to a Premier League rival rather than paying a higher price.

Arsenal and West Ham to continue Rice talks on Wednesday

We News has been told the Gunners will have to negotiate the structure of their record-breaking offer for the 24-year-old, with talks continuing on Wednesday.

West Ham is believed to desire a quicker payment of the assured fee, but the overall sum of £105m is unlikely to pose any issues. This offer surpasses Arsenal's previous transfer record of £72m, which was spent on Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.

Content: Rice has been Arsenal's top priority this summer, and the Gunners are his preferred choice.

The Irons have already turned down two club-record offers from Arsenal, with the first bid totaling £90m, including a £75m fee and £15m in additional payments. The Gunners' initial offer was believed to be worth £80m, also including add-ons.

Rice's potential record-breaking move in numbers