Manchester City is reportedly inching closer to securing the services of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
According to renowned football journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, City’s recent loss of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona has prompted them to intensify their pursuit of the talented England international, thereby placing them at the forefront of the race for his signature.
Declan #Rice getting closer to @ManCity: confidence to reach final agreement with @WestHam. @SkySport
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) June 22, 2023
Manchester City’s Optimism and Negotiation Process
Confidence abounds within the Manchester City camp, as they believe an agreement with West Ham United is imminent.
The coming days are expected to witness productive negotiations between the two clubs, as City strives to meet West Ham’s requirements for the transfer to materialize.
Subsequently, the club will need to engage in discussions with Rice to establish mutually satisfactory personal terms.
Arsenal’s Hindered Pursuit
While Arsenal initially set their sights on securing Declan Rice’s services, their protracted approach has seemingly cost them the opportunity.
Despite making two unsuccessful bids within the past week, Arsenal have failed to meet West Ham United’s valuation, much to their disappointment.
The lackluster offers put forth by Arsenal are reported to have irked West Ham, as they believed the figures fell significantly short of their expectations.
Manchester United links
Although Manchester United had been previously linked with Declan Rice, their offer of £40 million plus two players failed to pique West Ham United’s interest.
Consequently, the Red Devils’ pursuit seems to have lost steam, leaving the path relatively clear for Manchester City to assert their dominance in securing the highly sought-after midfielder.
