Many Gooners were comforted over the weekend with the rumours that Declan Rice has insisted to Arsenal that they remain his first choice. by Dan Smith
If that’s the case Arteta and Edu deserve credit for months ago selling a project to the player and essentially wooing him.
That’s why our Sporting Director has felt he can haggle over every last penny with David Sullivan, because he has the knowledge that the midfielder wants to remain living in London while participating in the Champions League.
While West Ham have been frustrated with the length of our repayment plans, negotiations have always been friendly with the Hammers encouraging us to meet their asking price, because they also have been told North London is their captain’s chosen destination.
That’s what all parties believed till last night!
That’s when Man City submitted their first official bid for the 24-year-old, believed to be the same total we have had rejected, but with more money up front and add ons and bonuses received sooner.
That doesn’t change the transfer policy at the Emirates, we were always expected to make a third/improved offer this week. Again, though Arsenal and West Ham’s discussions have been with the notion that the DM wants them to find a compromise.
Here’s why the Gunners should be concerned.
In a sport where everyone talks off record, would the Champions have made their interest official without encouragement?
If indeed talent is adamant that we are his first choice, would Pep Guardiola risk the embarrassment of publicly failing to attract someone to Manchester.
This is a manager whose ethos has always been not to stay in the way of any individual who wants to leave, so he doesn’t strike me of the type who will go out of his way to change Rice’s mind.
The positives of playing at the Etihad are obvious. You get coached by one of the greatest to ever live, you are more likely to lift trophies than at any other team in England, as well as earning more money than anywhere else.
Yet, that’s been the case for months when Rice’s agent surely put out feeders.
Perhaps the City feel they can simply outbid us?
At which point they can sit down with the player properly and sell themselves to him?
If that’s their tactic, we need to hope Mr. Sullivan is a man of his word, and sticks to his gentleman agreement. He shook hands on a promise that he wouldn’t stand in his skipper’s way if a certain valuation was met.
Worse, maybe Edu has dawdled too much, and that indecision has angered the player to assess his other options?
It’s believed he’s been in dialogue with us since January. That’s a long time to put an acceptable package together.
The situation was in Edu’s hands. The player wants the move, the Irons are open to selling.
You either disagree with the asking price and walk away, or you accept this is an expensive transaction.
There is no getting away from it now for Edu, to get Rice he will have to pay over the odds.
This deal isn’t done on the cheap.
Now he knows how his supporters feel when they go and purchase tickets and merchandise.
Yet again look how more aggressive City have been with their dealings.
They asked the question, got the answer and put the money down all within a week.
Another theory is their interest is halfhearted , designed to make us pay the maximum amount.
I think that’s wishful thinking on my part though. Man City would not have bid without someone encouraging them to do so?
Dan
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We’ve already offered more than we should, it’s now up to Rice to convince West Ham to let him leave for the very good offer they’ve received.
If it’s not to be then move on, how is it that Liverpool completed their first transfer weeks ago but we are still struggling?
Put urself in westham shoes, if u think its a good enough package and think of Benfica Enzo and Chelsea and compare the experience of the 2 players..
Its just sad that other teams cause the inflation.
Lets just get him and gey it over with, we all know we wont be going for a 100m player after this.
City have not received a categorical NO from Rice, otherwise they would not have gone through the motions iMO. However, I still reckon he will come to Arsenal if we ever make a third offer, one that meets their price and terms that is.
If Arsenal are convinced that Rice is worth 100m, they should just pay up and get it done. If we paid 65m for Kai Havertz, you’d think Rice is worth 100m in our club’s eyes.
Jude Bellingham went for something similar, didn’t he?
I SAY LETS USE TAVAREZ IN THE
XHAKA ROLE He has got all the
attributes to be a box to box
midfielder. Plus he is left footed
also. Will save the club a £100m wrt
all this Caicedo & Rice extortionary
demands.
ALWAYS FORWARD!! (but keep your
options open).
Its so much extortion bruh, its unbelievable..id even prefer zinchenko to replace xhaka there and we hold on to tierney
I want to see Rice leading our young team out in the not-distant future
This is crunch time our approach have to change.
Arsenal should now sit down and agree to West Ham lowest acceptable bid.
It was a good fight you win some and lose some.
Am looking at the big picture here, best to have a lost around the bargaining table it will be forgotten soon.
Another major lost played out in the public just after the recent concluded campaign, can not be good for our physic.
Problem is West Ham want a bidding War. They got 90% of what they wanted from 2 clubs; both bids far above Rice’s transfer market valuation.
Even if they get a bid of 100 million, why would they accept? With Utd rumored to be interested, they can hold out for 110, 120 million or more.
West Ham playing games, 90% of fee is great business for them. Arsenal should say no more, accept our offer or walk away and go after other targets.
Rice won’t make or break the team, we could get 2 quality midfielders for his fee, we should be smart not desperate, we’re hanging around like a clingy ex.
Pep said he wouldn’t bid unless rice was open to a move to city. Think their bid says it all. Rice will go to city if they offer more money, which inevitably they will. Look elsewhere I say.
Offer West Ham £80 million with our £70 million rated up and coming talent (Pepe) instead of letting him move to Turkey for less than £20 million like its being reported in the tabloids.
In this hypothetical West Ham would have received £80 million on top of getting a highly rated future potential talent.
Or if they don’t take that offer then chuck in Rob full set of hair (piece) Holding or AMN.
It would be a win win situation for all parties involved.
But let’s be honest, this is done. If City / Pep comes calling I don’t see many players or clubs turning him down..
We should lick our wounds and move onto the alternative. Keeps happening but that’s where we have been as a club for more than a decade. Once the other big clubs come calling we normally lose out..
Let this be a motivating factor to help push us back to winning the big trophies..
Rice isn’t Man Shitties no1. If he was they would go harder. Every team knows the score. Wetspam want 100mil, Rice wants Arsenal. City know Rice wants Arsenal. He is back up for Shitty, Rice will know that also. Rice is Arsenal as long as they meet 100 mil.
Money talks .
I’m just hoping that MA and Edu know what they’re doing.
We seem to have so many irons in the pot for different players and yet not one official announcement.
On the other hand, we are told that Balogun has been told to find another club, Xhaka wants to leave, Saliba hasnt signed his new contract, not sure about Tierney and some of our Hales End players want to leave.
Come on Arsenal, the natives are getting restless!!!
DAN, as it is my choice as to whether I buy my season ticket, purchase shirts, hotdogs, programmes etc because I might think their overpriced, so it follows that it is the choice of the club to decide when a player is too overpriced / overvalued to continue with the purchase,wouldnt you agree?
Of course Ken but let’s say that thru choose not too instead of this notion they can’t afford it
Dan, can you show ne where the club have said they can’t afford it?
Different entirely to saying we will not buy because he’s overpriced re. our valuation wouldn’t you say?
Didn’t the same thing happen with Mudryk? All the talk of the player wanting Arsenal only to have a rich club chat the player up and steal the deal at the eleventh hour because we wasted too much time and the club wanting more that the player was worth. We should make sure City pays as much as possible whilst looking elsewhere for a better deal.
Have you ever thought that it might be that West Ham are not in a hurry to get any deal over the line. To me this is no brainer as Man City have entered the fray so it seems. This the way business is done by attracting competitive bids.So regardless of how fast we submit a bid West Ham will delay any answer until they achieved what they consider the maximum possible. No EDU has not wasted time, he can not force the transfer because West Ham hold all the cards
I certainly hadn’t considered that but your view holds water to me
As long as we haven’t sold Patey and Xhaka,this Declan issue shouldn’t give us sleepless nights.This two were equal to the task,bar the burn out due to exhaustion.All we need is a quality back up and they are not short in the market
D.Rice is a very good player but so is our bid,a very good amount in my view.
We should just submit a well thought 3rd and final bid,if it is declined then we forget and move on.No need to keep hovering around.
They were not equal to the task ….we finsished 2nd
That’s why we’re trying to sign players Dan – I thought that was obvious?!
So you only like winners. Are you from the USA Dan?
I’ve just read in the Mail (article published at 11.30 pm) that Arsenal’s 3rd bid was £100 million + £5 million add-ons. This must surely be the final bid, and also a British record if it goes through.
This is confirmed in the very reliable Athletic.
I don’t want my club to be pushovers anymore. I’m sure Edu and Arteta will never bend over for West Ham or certain sections of our fans. In a real world, 100M for a football player should create a massive social meltdown. In truth, other clubs will charge West Ham more because they got 100M for Declan Rice. End of the day, if West Ham don’t budge, screw them and we will find someone else.