Arsenal are sticking to their guns in the transfer market as they bid to strike an agreement with West Ham for Declan Rice.
The Hammers talisman, 24, has emerged as Mikel Arteta 's top summer transfer target and is set to be the subject of a structured £92million proposal from the Gunners in the coming days now that West Ham's season is over.
However, it remains to be seen if Arsenal's offer will meet the demands of West Ham chairman David Sullivan, who is believed to value Rice at more than £100m. Talks over a deal are advancing, though, and the Hammers have already identified several targets to bolster their squad with the funds they would bank from selling Rice.
If the Hammers get their way, Rice will leave for a record British transfer fee which would eclipse the £105m sum that Chelsea shelled out on Enzo Fernandez back in January. And although Arteta has been handed a significant transfer budget after qualifying for next season's Champions League, it remains to be seen if the Arsenal boss is willing to break the bank in order to acquire his No.1 summer target.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal are playing hardball themselves, too. Kieran Tierney is being courted by Newcastle after losing his spot in the team last term, but the Gunners are unwilling to sell the Scottish international for less than £30m.
That sum is likely to be too rich for Newcastle, who the report claims are looking to ensure their summer signings represent value for money.
Raising extra funds from offloading squad members could be pivotal for Arsenal this summer - particularly if they do end up paying a record transfer fee for Rice, who has almost certainly played his final game for West Ham. That's according to Sullivan, who insists that the England star is determined to move on.
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"I think it has to be [his last game]," Sullivan told talkSPORT on Thursday when he was quizzed about speculation linking Rice with a transfer.
"We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements," Sullivan told talkSPORT.
"It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It's cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there.
"I think the offers will start to come today. There are three or four clubs who have shown interest, but out of respect to West Ham, while we’re still playing, you don’t make offers for players. That’s not the way decent clubs do things."
