Arsenal are reportedly preparing to approach West Ham United with an improved offer of £90m for midfielder Declan Rice.
The Gunners are believed to have already seen one bid rejected for the England international, who will be allowed to leave the London Stadium for the right price this summer.
Rice only has one year left on his contract with West Ham, and he is understood to have rejected the chance to extend as he yearns for Champions League football, which Arsenal would be able to offer him.
According to Sky Sports News, Arsenal's first offer of £80m fell short of West Ham's valuation, and any add-ons came with "tough contingencies" attached to them, leading to a swift rejection from West Ham.
However, the Gunners are now ready to table an upfront bid of £90m for the former Chelsea academy product, but even that fee may not be enough to convince West Ham to sanction a sale.
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In spite of the fact that Rice could walk out of the door for nothing in 2024, the Hammers are reportedly ready to demand as much as £120m or a player-plus-cash deal with a £100m fee.
Manchester United and Manchester City are also rumoured to be monitoring the situation, but Arsenal remain optimistic of sealing a club-record deal for the 24-year-old, who has supposedly informed West Ham of his desire to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Furthermore, Man United's transfer plans are currently on hold while the Glazers weigh up takeover bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, while Man City are currently prioritising the signing of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
A £90m deal for Rice would eclipse the £72m that Arsenal paid Lille for Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe in 2019, as Mikel Arteta seeks midfield reinforcements ahead of his side's return to the Champions League.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey formed the Gunners' first-choice midfield pairing last season, playing key roles in Arsenal's unexpected title challenge and second-placed finish, but both could soon be on their way out.
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Xhaka is expected to move to Bayer Leverkusen in a £13m transfer once Arsenal have signed a replacement, while Partey is reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Arabia.
Albert Sambi Lokonga could also leave the club permanently amid reports of interest from Burnley, while Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny are only under contract until the summer of 2024.
Jorginho arrived at Arsenal on deadline day in January following two failed bids for Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, who has remained on the Gunners' radar since the previous window.
However, Arsenal have seemingly cooled their interest in the Chelsea-linked Ecuadorian in order to push ahead with a deal for Rice, as well as Kai Havertz and Ajax's Jurrien Timber.
Rice captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last season with five goals and four assists from 50 games, taking his total for West Ham to 15 strikes and 13 assists from 245 appearances in all competitions.
Ben Knapton
