Arsenal have made an improved offer of up to £105m for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
The offer, which Arsenal hope will fend off rivals Manchester City, includes an initial fee of £100m and a further £5m in add-ons.
It would be a Premier League record fee for a British player if the move materialized.
Arsenal had a club-record bid of up to £90m – £75m plus £15m in add-ons – rejected by West Ham earlier this month.
Manchester City then made an official bid of £80m with a further £10m in add-ons, but this was also rejected.
Arsenal have now raised their bid to try and secure the summer target for manager Mikel Arteta.
Rice’s contract at West Ham expires in 2024, with the option of a one-year extension.
But West Ham chairman David Sullivan said after the club’s Europa League triumph that he expected the England international to have played his last game for the club, adding that he “wants to go”.
Rice has made 245 appearances for West Ham since making his debut in 2017.
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Mark Carey analysis
Rice does not jump in the face of challenges at the first sign of danger. Instead, he patrols in midfield, maintains good positional discipline, and then gets involved in his defensive antics at the right moments.
This is reflected in the numbers, as Rice’s figure of 4.2 “real” tackles – denoting tackles plus challenges lost as well as fouls committed – per 1,000 touches of an opponent places him just 62nd among a group of 69 defensive and central midfielders with 900+ Senior Chief. League minutes played last season.
Crucially, on the occasions that Rice does put his foot down, his technique ensures that he is often the one to come out on top.
No one in the same group of 69 players has a “real” win rate better than 70 percent.
(Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
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