The report suggesting Manchester City’s interest in Declan Rice has raised concerns among Arsenal fans, who have been hoping to secure the midfielder’s signature throughout the summer. Arsenal has already made multiple bids for Rice, but West Ham has rejected them, deeming them insufficient.
According to the David Ornstein, Manchester City is now reportedly ready to enter the race for Rice after losing Ilkay Gundogan. While City had not shown previous interest in Rice, they have been closely monitoring Arsenal’s pursuit of the English midfielder.
As Arsenal faces challenges in securing the transfer, this development suggests that City may now present a more enticing offer to acquire Rice, potentially evoking memories of Chelsea beating Arsenal to sign Mykhailo Mudryk in the previous transfer window.
This news will have left Arsenal fans concerned about the possibility of losing out on Rice’s signing to a rival club with greater financial resources.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Our struggles to sign Rice have genuinely become embarrassing as we make it seem tedious.
It is not rocket science that if you want to sign a top player, you must spend a lot of money and, sadly, we are enjoying going back and forth on the transfer.
We now face paying even more than we could have if City joins the race because they will easily outbid us.
Arsenal News 24/7
I assume the headline means another “disaster” by offering way over the odds for a player, as in Mudryk?
Ken
Arsenal avoided overpaying, and got great value in signing Trossard.
I would say we should avoid overpaying for Rice and find another DM who can produce without costing 100 million.
Perhaps it’s my age, but I consider it far to risky to spend 165 million on Rice and Havertz.
We could bring in 2 midfielders and a RB for that amount of money. Needless to say I would not be upset if we walked away and avoided the bidding war mugging West Ham is hoping for.
We did fall for it with Donesk, hope we avoid it with West Ham as well.
Rice reportedly stated he wants to remain in London, and looking at Calvin Phillips and how many games he has played, maybe he believes he will do better at Arsenal. Arsenal should have offered 100 million, then negotiated. Arsenal has always been like this with transfers for decades, it’s nothing new
We are playing poker, really badly so it would appear. If we get gazumped because we tabled our best offer too late, then that’s what we deserve IMO.
Depends where he wants to go ,I read his favoured destination was actually Man Utd ,but they cannot get the funds together apparently ,so it looks like between us and city ,should have gone for Caceido from the start as he wanted to come to us in January but all this faffing around means we have probably now lost him to Chelsea .
It’s unfair to fully judge Mudryk yet as Chelsea are in an absolute mess, but they definitely paid well over the odds. We did the same with Pepe, and look at how that turned out.
If Rice does choose City over us, I don’t see how any blame could be put on Edu and co. We didn’t too late to bid, and we’ve gone through the normal process of negotiation.
And why on earth would any player pick us over City? He’s guaranteed trophies at City, more money, and working for the best coach in the world.
I’m saying this as I’m sure we’ll soon hear “Edu out”.
Guaranteed trophies…as a bit part player …he is not going to replace Rodri when he is fit
He may play as an 8 however.. there too competition is tough as City has signed Mateo Kovacic
Well Kovacic will be the bit part player, given his ability and price tag.
I agree that Rodri is the better player, but I could see Rice starting in a slightly different position, and now that Gundogan has left, a spot is available in the starting lineup.
How’s it a disaster if we fail to get him and man city get him ?
Please Edu do not pay over the odds, there’s a lot of alternatives out there.
Fans have become a nervous wreck myself included over over this Declan Rice deal.
Surely Edu and the gaffer must have had some sort of assurance from Rice. that enable us to went ahead and concluded a deal for Havertz first.
So there may well be no need to worry of the Citizens throwing their hat in the ring, fingers crossed.
A failure to sign Rice would be like a catastrophic disaster, not just because of the player involved but a serious threat to our status as a functioning big club.
*A failure to sign Rice would be like a catastrophic disaster, not just because of the player involved but a serious threat to our status as a functioning big club.*
This is the over the top sensationalism that I still struggle to understand.
I have been hearing this kind of overly emotional based doom and gloom prophesying for a few years now.
I will paraphrase…
“If don’t give this or that player the the wages they are asking for and they end up leaving then we are done as a club”.
“If we continue to not give into specific fans favourites players demands and primadonnalism then it will put Arsenal into a bad light for potential signings”.
“If we don’t pay the asking price for this and that player then that’s us done as a club”
“With th Kroenke still at the helm we will never get anywhere”.
“If Arteta is not fired soon then we will never get anywhere as a club”
“The way we have mistreated this and that player is going to be detrimental. Players will never want to join after witnessing the way the manager has mistreated my favourite player”.
“With Arteta still as our manager we will continue to be a joke mediocre club”.
“If the club extends Arteta’s contract then Arsenal are finished as a club”.
“This is the only chance we had for a Top 4 finish where all the other Top teams were having a sh!t seasons. We will never get such an opportunity ever again any time soon as next season and thereafter all the other Top 6 teams will be much better while we will only get worse”.
“This is the only chance we had to win the League where all the top teams were having a sh!t season. We will never get this opportunity in the near future as all the other Top teams will be much stronger. And even the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton, Newcstle etc will be much while we will be the only ones that will get worse and just let everyone else improve”.
I can keep going….
We should already be done as a club a long long time ago if these doom prophecies were anything to be taken seriously.
All I am saying is, lets start using our heads more than our hearts. Sensationalism never adds anything substantive.
😊
@Goonerstar
Sorry if I sound sensational
Arsenal needs to make signing that inspire confidence.
Declan Rice is not my favorite player, but not signing the young establish Englishman would leave a bad taste in fans mouth, myself included.
After going through the build up into the summer’s window, missing out should not be an option when it can be avoided.
But there is a feel good factor that goes with these signing that one should not underestimate.
It is this feel good factor that some time makes the atmosphere electric, it often spill over on the pitch and could be instrumental in kicking off the next campaign with a bang.
Didn’t we have a hundred “reassurances” from Mudryk?
Admin – Declan Rice is a total different individual, everything is different here.
He’s not desperate as the little rat from Ukraine, his wishes will be respected,
If he prefers to stay in London that will happen, mark my word.
Giving assurances is like a paper door, if you respect the paper door you wait until its open, if you do not you just walk right through it.
If he wants to sit on the bench next to Kalvin Phillips watching Rodri it’s up to him. Doesn’t seem likely to me. He will play every big game for Arsenal and be a mainstay of the team. He won’t at City. That is why he will chose Arsenal. Kalvin Phillips is a treble winner but I bet he didn’t get much satisfaction from it.
If Rice genuinely wants to play at Arsenal then he’ll sign regardless of Man City’s interest. West Ham can’t force him to move.
same old story useless edu and his co they are ruin our club
Disaster? 1st it was we are overpaying a lot for a player who is not WC or going to improve us by a lot. then it was ironically us not bending over to W Ham ridiculous demands. Now it’s us potentially losing to a state funded club with unlimited budget. Also City ain’t Chelsea they don’t just sit back and jump for other club targets, if they are in that means they were always in the race communicating with W ham and keeping up to date with the transfer negotiations. When Gundogan decided to leave and potentially B Silva too they jumped into action.
Would match with West ham always expecting a bidding war for Rice.
It’s funny how a so called “average player” by a good few posters on this site, is wanted by the best team on the planet 🤔 I personally think he is a better player than Partey more consistent, rarely gives the ball away, but the biggest difference to me, is that he is a Leader has massive football intelligence and a true captain which Partey in my opinion could never be…. Imo
Arsenal’s dithering will ultimately cost them (again). It happens all the time. If City can offer double the wage we are offering and more opportunities to win silverware, let’s face, we don’t have a chance. Saying that, we knew this was West Hams plan all along. Gather interest and sell to the highest bidder. City can and will out bid most clubs. FACT!
Arsenal have literally not dithered at all in this deal. What are you talking about?
Well said. It’s called negotiation. I still think he will sign for us but if he doesn’t, move on. We can only conclude a deal when everyone has agreed.
It is dithering when you know a club will take no less that £100M and you offer £80. They want £120m. So offering £40m below the striking point is dithering. FACT!
If we had bid £100m the first time, West Ham would make us pay up to £120m. The plan was to buy him for at most £100m. That’s why we started bidding from £80m which in my opinion is already much for the player. Bellingham just signed for Madrid for about £110m which is less than what West ham were demanding for Rice. Edu Gasper has no blame here
I honestly don’t think we have any place going for Rice. That is why I consider it dithering. Because we are not going to spend that much. We should be looking at other alternatives. If City (and they probably will) want to buy him, we have little hope of a sniff imo.
Calling it “dithering” is a ridiculous characterisation of a complex process that the club is engaged with. Arsenal want to work out a deal if possible but clearly not at any cost. The structure of the deal may make it workable for both sides so some negotiation is necessary.
Good player.
Vastly overpriced not his fault.
Let’s get in for Lavia.
19 and class
The jury is still out on MM but
referring to his missed transfer
as a “DISASTER” Is hyperbole at
it’s utmost worst. Dude wanted
Arsenal, probably still does but
LT was the best short term fix in
January for a title chasing team.
I could care less about Arsenals
pursuit of Declan Rice. Great
player but criminally overpriced.
Arsenal could land Caucedo &
Timber for around the same
ridiculous price that WH are
demanding for the English men.
Go to City and play sparingly for
all I care and take some of these
sensationalist, the sky is falling
JA “FANS” with you.
Place is a cesspool
The report also says City are going to offer exactly the same that we have had rejected. Really? It has been said it was embarrassing when we offered it. I dont believe the article that this came from.
Because their offer will be payed over 2 years ares was over 4 and our addons were apparently unrealistic
Agree Dan but it was still 90 mil. 75 and 15 add ons.
City with Rice and Rodri will be unbeatable. We have to get him, even if it means paying over the odds.
Arsenal are just Bottlejobs. Why could not ask the price and pay up.Look at Liverpool.
Rise to City means 4 in a row.
Edu need to walk
Relax everyone, Rice is ours. The only way we dont get him, is if Edu and co cock it all up.
If we don’t reach an agreement with West Ham then Rise’s only two options are to stay or go to City, and he will probably prefer to go to City. So this is a tricky situation.
Never mind.
I am sure Man City or Chelsea have a dud on their books that they can sell to us for huge money.
And the people on here will laud it as a transfer coup by Edu.
It’s the same shit every year…
Rice would be great for us.But westham know they can get some more money if they made him available for longer because of the bidding war.
If indeed we offered 90m for him then we did our best and Edu&Arteta can’t be blamed. It’s a free market and Westham can even price him at 150 then Mancity pays it.It is their player after all.
We should keep our midfield intact(Patey and Xhaka)then add Onana or Lavia at lesser cost &wages than Rice.We will be better than last season am sure.
Onana or Lavia?
Players we have never raised an eye lid to are suddenly what we need 👍
This is exactly why we have been lumbered with shit under Wenger – go for someone who can play there regardless of whether he is what we need or not. Good enough or not.
I would rather stick with what we have than sign someone who is a drain on our resources- it looks like this is already the case by signing Havertz.
Timber.
Honestly who has ever heard of him before yet they are asking for 50 million – and again there will be people here saying what a good buy he would be.
Why can’t we just develop our own players – Saka worked and get the scouting team looking at young players. This is just insane and unsustainable.
But are we okay with spending £100 million plus on a player like Declan Rice?
I know that when we are calm and collected, most are saying we shouldn’t be spending anywhere near £90 million later on £100 million on Rice. But at the same time we also would like to sign such a player but not at that price.
But at the same time we will naturally get defensive if a rival comes in and is willing to pay the going rate or over the amount. It’s natural for us to get frustrated and defensive..
So we arw caught in two minds. Pay the £100 million that we our heads are not for. Or We let it go and let our rivals pay the amount but at the same time strengthen their team and bragging rights? They will keep bragging that we got snubbed because we are not big enough even if its not that. It’s the money issue. But they will not be saying that. They will be saying “The same old Arsenal. When the big boys come calling they have not chance.” Etc..
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The question is: If Declan Rice was the club’s utmost priority then why did we jump at an “opportunistic buy” at 65 mil before wrapping up the club’s utmost priority? Don’t get me wrong, Kai is a top player and I’m happy we have him, but why on earth did we expedite this “opportunistic” buy at 65 mil from those thugs when they would be begging us to do a deal come June 28th? 65 mil knowing very well we hadn’t straightened out things with Westham? Nah!! Either Edu and Arteta are impulsive buyers OR they know something we don’t!!
“Kai is a top player”. REALLY? Sorry to have to tell you that a good many onJA, myself included, think him distinctly average and nowhere anywhere near worth the fee quoted.
I have deep foreboding about this deal which seems likely to happen. I wish it were not going to.
Remember when Xhaka was absolute crap and no one saw anything in him? Well turns out he wasn’t a bad player at all, three successive managers just didn’t know how to use him!! That’s the exact case with Havertz, he’s been grossly misused at Chelsea and if Arteta thinks he can do the ‘xhaka magic’ on him, then who are we to doubt him?
Arsenal wants to pay over the years of his contract and setting some difficult conditions for the add one like winning the league and Champions league. The 90m offer isn’t the problem, but Arsenal terms of payments.
City more enticing Arsenal, when there is a risk of relegation to the Championship League for breaching FA rules?
Come to think of it, Rice would be a better fit for the lower league, if he could figure out how to score more goals.
That said, Rice may be boring and dull but he’s not dumb. He will make the right decision in the end.
Not at all embarrassed by the way we are standing up for ourselves against the greedy Hammers. Gun-point robbery for 100M in plain daylight. They will get their just deserts soon.
Arsenal losing out on Murdryk was never a disaster. Losing out on Rice won’t be either.
My gut instinct tells me strongly that ultimately Rice will agree to go nowhere else at all, save only to us.
All along I have said repeatedly that this tricky Rice negotiation is a game of poker , bluff and counter bluff
And that is now happening, just as I predicted. It will still take some time yet but I remain confident , not certain of course, but merely confident, that in the end he will be here sometime this month or more probably next.
The bottom line is he wants to stay in London, play CL football AND IMPORTANTLY, play regularly, which will rule out City, IMO.
He will in the meantime be bright enough to keep schtum, keep his thoughts to himself and simply enjoy being young, fit and rich. And who would not!!