West Ham United have rejected Arsenal's second offer for midfielder Declan Rice worth £90m, according to a report.
The Hammers are resigned to losing the 24-year-old this summer, with chairman David Sullivan revealing last month that the club captain has a gentleman's agreement to seek pastures new ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
Arsenal have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Rice, who has been identified by head coach Mikel Arteta as his top midfield target.
Both Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka featured heavily in Arteta's midfield last season, but the Gunners pair are said to be facing uncertain futures at the Emirates Stadium, with the latter believed to be close to joining Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal allegedly came forward with an opening offer for Rice worth around £80m plus add-ons last week, which was swiftly rejected by West Ham who value their star midfielder closer to £120m.
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Arsenal remain determined to win the race for Rice and have since tabled an improved club-record offer worth £90m, including a guaranteed £75m plus £15m in add-ons.
Sky Sports News reports that the Gunners have proposed to pay the initial £75m fee over a four-year period, and the £15m add-ons, if successfully met, would be paid over five years.
The big-money bid eclipses the North Londoners' club-record transfer that stands at £72m, which they forked out in 2019 on winger Nicolas Pepe.
However, the report states that West Ham have rejected Arsenal's latest offer as it still falls well below their asking price.
The Gunners are said to remain hopeful of a positive resolution, though, and it is understood that David Moyes's side are open to negotiating a lower fee for Rice if an Arsenal player is included in the deal.
Rice has spent his entire professional career with West Ham, making 245 appearances across all tournaments since his debut in 2017, and he successfully led the Hammers to Europa Conference League glory in 2022-23 – the club's first European silverware for 58 years.
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The England international is now keen to fulfil his dream of playing in the Champions League, which Arsenal can provide after securing a second-placed finish in the Premier League last season.
Rice is thought to have earmarked Arsenal as his preferred destination, although the Gunners could soon face stern competition from Manchester City and Manchester United, who still hold an interest in the midfielder and are believed to be considering tabling big-money bids of their own.
However, while the Citizens are concentrating on their pursuit of Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is said to be furious with the club's slow takeover process which is hindering their chances of signing top targets such as Rice.
Arsenal are not only focused on their pursuit of Rice, as they have reportedly made an improved bid to sign Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, while Ajax defender Jurrien Timber has also emerged as a target for Arteta.
West Ham, meanwhile, have identified Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha as their top target should they agree to sell Rice, while Southampton's James Ward-Prowse and Ajax's Edson Alvarez are also on their radar.
Oliver Thomas
