Man City table opening bid for Arsenal target Declan Rice

Manchester City have officially joined Premier League rivals Arsenal in the race to sign West Ham United defensive midfielder Declan Rice.

According to The Athletic, the Cityzens have launched an opening proposal worth £80 million plus £10m in add-ons for the highly-rated Englishman.

Rice is one of the best players in the world in his position, so it is no surprise that the England international is in high demand this summer.

The 24-year-old will enter the final 12 months of his contract with West Ham at the start of next season, although the Hammers have the option to extend his stay by a year.

However, they have promised the highly sought-after midfielder that he can leave the London Stadium this summer after leading the club to Europa Conference League glory in Prague.

West Ham are adamant they will not accept offers less than £100m for their captain, so it is expected that they will knock back Man City’s opening bid, which falls £10m below their valuation.

Arsenal have already seen three bids rejected by the defiant Hammers, the last of which was also worth £90m, although the payment structure was slightly different from Man City’s proposal.

However, it is unlikely that West Ham will soften their stance on Rice’s valuation despite being resigned to losing their academy graduate this summer.

Arsenal are determined to land Rice at all costs. They are preparing to launch another bid to land the Englishman, who will prove a statement signing for whichever club wins the race for his signature.

Man City’s push for Rice shows they are not resting on their laurels despite winning the treble last season. They want to bolster their squad significantly as they prepare to defend their titles next term.

The Cityzens are also preparing a mega bid for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol. The 21-year-old has already agreed personal terms with the European champions.