Arsenal and Man Utd set to lose out on £100m transfer with Man City having trump card
There is a possibility that Arsenal and Manchester United may not be able to sign Declan Rice, their top target for the summer transfer window, because Manchester City is showing increased interest in acquiring the West Ham star.
Declan Rice, who is an England international, is being monitored by multiple Premier League clubs as he gets ready to leave London Stadium this summer, and it appears that Pep Guardiola is keen on getting the versatile midfielder for his team.
The football club values the 24-year-old player at approximately £100 million, making him too expensive for most top-flight teams except Chelsea and City.
Nonetheless, the champions have developed a strategy that could increase their chances of signing him. City is reportedly contemplating constructing their new midfield lineup around the talented player from West Ham.
This news is unfortunate for Arsenal and Manchester United, as they had planned to acquire Rice as a crucial addition to their team.
For a while now, Mikel Arteta has been searching for a central midfielder to bolster his team, as he is worried about Thomas Partey’s fitness and the lack of backup for Granit Xhaka.
The preferred option for Arsenal is Rice, who they see as the best candidate to join their midfield trio. However, there are concerns about whether Arsenal can afford to pay the £100m fee that has been requested for him, especially given their aspirations to compete for titles.
There have been similar concerns about Manchester United’s ability to afford big signings, given that they have already spent £70m on Casemiro from Real Madrid and may need to sell players first.
Liverpool’s priority is to acquire Jude Bellingham, while Chelsea have already signed Enzo Fernandez and plan to renew the contracts of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.
However, Pep Guardiola may have an advantage in the pursuit of Rice, as he is willing to let go of three players to create space for the midfielder.
One of those players could be Kalvin Phillips, who has not yet started a Premier League game for Manchester City and has only played 56 minutes in the league this season. It is possible that Phillips could leave the Etihad Stadium to end his difficult time there.
The 27-year-old football player surprised many when he switched from Leeds United to his current club for a hefty £45m in August. However, he has been struggling to secure a regular spot in the team, and it’s possible that he could move to a different club in Manchester, especially considering their previous interest in him.
It appears that Ilkay Gundogan will be leaving when his contract expires later this year, and Bernardo Silva has been consistently linked with a move to La Liga after spending six years at his current club.
Assuming that these departures take place, the funds generated from the sales could help Manchester City acquire Rice, who could join Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne to form a new midfield trio.
Manchester City’s appeal and strong English core of players, such as John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden, make it a desirable destination for Rice, who may be tempted to join the six-time Premier League winners and help them achieve their goal of winning the Champions League, even if it doesn’t happen this season.
Arsenal and Man Utd set to lose out on £100m transfer with Man City having trump card
