In their quest to sign Declan Rice, Manchester City is ready to offer £100 million, provided the midfielder prioritizes joining the reigning Premier League and Champions League winners. Arsenal, after having their second bid of £90 million plus add-ons rejected by their local rivals, is preparing a third offer to approach West Ham's valuation. Bayern Munich has ended their interest in Rice after being informed of his desire to move to the Emirates.
Pep Guardiola is determined to outshine his former assistant, Mikel Arteta, in securing the English midfielder, especially after losing captain Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona. City is aware of Rice's London roots and his desire to move to the Emirates, which has been evident for several months, as West Ham assured him they wouldn't stand in his way of leaving the club.
West Ham remains confident that at least one of the interested clubs will present a £100 million offer. However, City will not pursue Rice if he remains steadfast in his desire to join the Gunners. City has a massive budget of £300 million following a hugely successful season, clinching the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. They also generated nearly £200 million from player sales last summer and expect to earn another substantial sum this year.
City will consider offers for defender Aymeric Laporte, valued at £60 million, and English midfielder Kalvin Phillips, valued at £42 million. Laporte's departure would pave the way for City to sign Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig.
They would demand £70 million for Bernardo Silva if the Portuguese midfielder joins Barcelona, PSG, or the wealthy Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. City shattered the British transfer record when they signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa two years ago, and they are willing to do so again to secure the right player.
Most players would find the opportunity to play under Guardiola highly enticing. Moreover, if Rice were to arrive at Etihad, he would reunite with his England teammates Grealish, John Stones, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and Phillips.
Previously, Manchester City invested £25 million to bring in midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. They are also preparing to spend an additional £75 million to acquire the powerful center-back Gvardiol from RB Leipzig if they find a buyer for Laporte.
