West Ham United have rejected Manchester City's opening offer of £90m for midfielder Declan Rice, according to a report.
The Europa Conference League champions are resigned to losing Rice this summer, with chairman David Sullivan stating last month that the 24-year-old will be allowed to leave the London Stadium for the right price.
Rice has ambitions of playing in the Champions League and he is currently the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between last season's top two Premier League teams Man City and Arsenal.
The Gunners have been considered the frontrunners for Rice's signature for some time, as the midfielder is understood to have already agreed personal terms with Mikel Arteta's side and has earmarked the Emirates Stadium as his preferred destination.
However, Arsenal have seen two big-money offers knocked back by West Ham, including a club-record bid of £75m upfront plus £15m in add-ons paid across a four to five-year period.
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The North Londoners now face stiff competition from treble winners Man City to win the race for Rice, as Pep Guardiola's side have recently stepped up their pursuit of the England international.
The Citizens are believed to be confident of reaching an agreement with West Ham for the midfielder, and they allegedly submitted their first formal offer on Monday evening of an initial £80m plus £10m in add-ons.
However, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, West Ham were left "unimpressed" with City's opening bid and they have swiftly turned it down.
Rice has just a year remaining on his contract at the London Stadium, but the Hammers are thought to value their star man between £100m and £120m.
West Ham's No.41 has made 254 appearances for the club in all competitions since his debut in 2017, including 50 outings in the 2022-23 campaign, and he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
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Arsenal are expected to table a third offer for Rice and remain hopeful of reaching a positive resolution with West Ham, while it remains to be seen whether Man City will table an improved bid.
Rice has been identified as Arteta's top summer target, with the Spanish head coach keen to bolster his squad in an attempt to rival Man City for the 2023-24 Premier League title as well as juggle Champions League duties.
The Gunners are seemingly prepared to spend big this summer as they are reportedly on the verge of signing Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, who has completed the first part of his medical ahead of a £65m switch to the Emirates, while a 'verbal agreement' is said to be in place to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.
Man City, meanwhile, are set to announce the arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for an initial £25m, and Guardiola is also keen to get deals over the line for both Rice and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol.
The Citizens are hoping to strengthen their options in midfield after Ilkay Gundogan was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Monday, while the futures of Bernardo Silva and Kalvin Phillips remain uncertain.
Oliver Thomas
