Arsenal's pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is reaching a critical stage as the clubs are nearing an agreement on the transfer fee, which is expected to exceed £100m if certain performance-related clauses are met.
West Ham has come to terms with the fact that they will lose Rice, and Arsenal is prepared to break their transfer record to make him the most expensive player in the club's history.
While a formal bid is yet to be submitted, negotiations between the two clubs are progressing smoothly, instilling confidence that the deal will be finalized in the near future.
Rice has been Arsenal's primary target, and personal terms should pose no obstacles. The Gunners are moving swiftly to ensure a seamless transfer and have been willing to pay around £90m for the 24-year-old midfielder.
However, West Ham is eager to maximize their earnings and has requested additional add-ons that would elevate the total fee beyond £100m. Currently, Arsenal's transfer record stands at £72m, the amount paid for Nicolas Pépé in 2019.
Sources suggest that the likelihood of a rival club vying for the signature of West Ham's captain is diminishing. Although Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Manchester United have shown interest in Rice, Arsenal has emerged as the frontrunner in their pursuit, particularly as they explore options to offload Pépé and Cédric Soares.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta holds great admiration for the England international and is determined to bolster his squad with Rice's presence. Arteta believes that Rice's skills will be instrumental in Arsenal's pursuit of another Premier League title.
To accommodate the midfielder, Arteta is open to letting Granit Xhaka join Bayer Leverkusen. Furthermore, Arsenal is considering a bid for Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who is also a target for Chelsea, and they are exploring the possibility of signing Manchester City's Ilkay Gündogan on a free transfer.
Rice, an admirer of Arteta's style of play, has rejected West Ham's attempts to keep him at the club. West Ham's largest shareholder, David Sullivan, disclosed last week that the player declined a contract extension worth £200,000 per week. Rice ended his tenure with West Ham on a high note, leading the team to victory against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
As West Ham begins to search for potential replacements, they have shown interest in Ajax's Edson Álvarez, Fulham's João Palhinha, and Southampton's James Ward-Prowse.
