Arsenal signed Jorginho in January, but Mikel Arteta still wants to bolster his midfield. Man City and Manchester United are also interested in the midfielder. If accepted, this deal would set a club record, surpassing the £72 million paid for Nicolas Pepe.
West Ham rejected Arsenal’s second £90 million offer for Declan Rice.
The transfer cost, which would have been an Arsenal club record, was said to be £75 million guaranteed plus an additional £15 million in add-ons, exceeding the £72 million Lille received in 2019 for Nicolas Pepe.
Arsenal suggested paying the initial amount over a four-year period and the add-ons, if any were reached, over a five-year period.
The club is willing to sell for less provided a player is included in the deal, although that is still considerably less than West Ham’s £120 million valuation.
Rice is the subject of ongoing negotiations between the two clubs, and a source has told Sky Sports News that Arsenal is still optimistic about a successful outcome.
The Gunners had initially proposed £80 million plus add-ons, which would have been paid in a series of gradual instalments with a number of stringent conditions attached.
The 24-year-old is also attracting interest from Manchester City and Manchester United.
Before the start of this season, Rice took over as the Hammers’ captain from Mark Noble, a position he held throughout his entire professional career.
In the January transfer window, Arsenal made offers for Moises Caicedo of Brighton but ultimately chose to sign Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea.
But, Mikel Arteta, who last season primarily relied on Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka, and Thomas Partey as his midfielders, is still eager to bolster that part of the field.
