Man City making £100m bid for Declan Rice - which could see Treble winner join West Ham

Treble champions Manchester City are set to officially enter the race for West Ham superstar Declan Rice and could use a makeweight midfielder to sweeten the deal

Posted Saturday, June 24, 2023 by Dailystar.co.uk

Manchester City will make a £100million bid for Declan Rice in a sensational attempt to hijack his move to Arsenal.

And the Treble winners could use midfield misfit Kalvin Phillips as a makeweight in the hope of striking a deal with West Ham. Arsenal have spent the past six months plotting to land Rice.

Boss Mikel Arteta made the England ace his No.1 target and even invited him to his house for private talks about a move to the Emirates. Manchester United have also been keeping close tabs on Rice, as boss Erik Ten Hag looks to bolster his squad this summer.

But City are poised to blow both of their rivals out of the water by outbidding them in the race to land Rice.

It's understood City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak is willing to offer the Hammers £60m plus England star Phillips - in return for Rice.

And if the Hammers hold out for a cash-only deal, then City will meet their valuation of the 24-year-old. Phillips started just two Premier League games last season, after joining City from Leeds in a £50m deal.

Man City making £100m bid for Declan Rice - which could see Treble winner join West Ham
Rice is expected to fetch a fee of around £100m this summer

He is desperate to secure regular first-team football and is seen as a like-for-like replacement for the departing Rice.

Meanwhile, City superstar Bernardo Silva could be poised to make a move to the Saudi Pro League. The 28-year-old has decided to leave the Etihad and has been a target for both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

Man City making £100m bid for Declan Rice - which could see Treble winner join West Ham
Kalvin Phillips could be offered to West Ham to help sweeten the deal

But he now looks set to become the latest European star to move to Saudi Arabia after opening talks with three clubs there, provided a fee in the region of £60m can be agreed with City. Ilkay Gundogan is another midfielder believed to be on his way out of the Etihad when his contract expires at the end of this month, with Barcelona said to be his most likely destination.

Silva's days at City appear to be numbered

Pep Guardiola's side are understood to be on the verge of signing Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic after agreeing a £30m fee (£25m up front plus £5m in add-ons) for the Croatia international.

However, Rice is a far more coveted commodity in Manchester and could be tempted to the current kings of Europe despite Arsenal's long-term pursuit.