By Frank Dalleres
Arsenal are poised to complete the signing of West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice for a transfer fee that could reach a British record £105m.
Manchester City’s withdrawal from the race to sign Rice has left the way clear for Arsenal to make the 24-year-old by far their most expensive signing.
Last season’s Premier League runners-up made a third offer, worth £100m guaranteed plus a further £5m in performance-related bonuses, on Tuesday.
City subsequently pulled out of the running for Rice, having offered a package worth up to £90m to West Ham earlier this week.
A fee of £105m would eclipse the current British record of £100m set when City signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in summer 2021.
The value is also around £30m more than Arsenal’s previous biggest deal, the £72m signing of winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.
Chelsea’s January 2023 capture of Argentina World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez for £107m remains the most expensive in Premier League history.
It is set to herald a high-profile transfer window for the Gunners, who have already agreed a £65m deal to sign Germany attacker Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
The north Londoners are also interested in Ajax and Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber, who has attracted overtures from Bayern Munich.
City have already acted to reshuffle their Treble-winning squad, signing Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for £25m following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona.
The Premier League champions are also in talks to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol for a fee that could approach £90m.
