West Ham United captain Declan Rice will reportedly ask his club to accept the latest bid from Arsenal in a huge boost to Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners had sent in a British record £105 million bid for Rice, but West Ham have yet to accept it.
But according to Sportsmail, the England international is ready to talk his club into accepting Arsenal’s proposal to avoid the transfer lingering on.
Arsenal have become the only club standing in the race for Rice after Manchester City pulled out. The Cityzens offered £90m but were rebuffed by the Hammers. With Arsenal using their bid, Pep Guardiola’s side are unwilling to match the Gunners’ huge bid.
And now Rice’s desire for West Ham to reach an agreement with Arsenal is a significant boost for the Gunners, who want to tidy up the deal as quickly as possible.
According to Mail Sports sources, there is growing confidence at Arsenal that an agreement can be reached soon and Rice signed by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, West Ham and Arsenal are in discussions over the structure of the payment. The Hammers want the guaranteed portion of the fee paid by the start of 2025, preferably in two instalments. But Arsenal want to pay the fee over a five-year period.
However, talks about reaching a middle ground over the structure of the deal are continuing, and there is a growing belief that Rice’s intervention could hasten discussions.
