Arsenal second bid timeframe revealed after West Ham reject opening Rice offer; make Cancelo contact

Joe Williams
Arsenal target Declan Rice celebrates winning

Arsenal have had their opening offer for Declan Rice turned down by West Ham but will bid again, according to reports.

The Gunners have made the England international their top summer transfer target as they look to improve their midfield quality ahead of the new season.

Rice has been in great form over the last few seasons for the Hammers with the 24-year-old helping them to win the Europa Conference League last week.

And now the season is over Rice has been at the centre of speculation that he will depart the London Stadium with Arsenal understood to be extremely interested.

A report earlier today in The Athletic revealed that the Gunners had made their opening bid for Rice but that Manchester City were also ‘actively exploring’ a potential transfer.

But Sky Sports insist ‘West Ham have rejected Arsenal’s opening bid for Declan Rice, thought to be worth £80m plus add-ons’ but the Gunners are ‘expected to return with an improved offer in the coming days’.

Manchester United and German champions Bayern Munich have also been linked to the Englishman and West Ham chairman David Sullivan recently revealed that the club “promised” that he could leave this summer.

Sullivan said after the Europa Conference League final: “I think it has to be. We promised him he could go.

“He set his heart on going and in due course he has to get on and we have to get a replacement.

“It is not something we wanted to happen. We offered him £200,000 a week 18 months ago and he turned it down. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.

“I think the offers will start to come. Three or four clubs have shown interest but out of respect to West Ham, while we’re still playing, you don’t make offers for players.”

Rice remained coy on his future at the West Ham trophy parade, he told Sky Sports: “I’ve still got two years left.

“There’s so much speculation – I see it all the time – but I can’t help that. That comes with playing football every day and doing what I do.

“My focus, and it has been since the World Cup, is to win this trophy and keep West Ham in the Premier League.”

Another player Arsenal are interested in is Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Bayern Munich,

And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed Arsenal have “had contacts on player side”.

Romano wrote on Twitter: “Manchester City want to find a solution for João Cancelo before the pre-season as Portuguese fullback will be available on the market. #MCFC Discussions will take place soon as the interest of Barcelona remains strong — Arsenal also had contacts on player side.”

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