Arsenal are expected to make a formal bid worth £90m for West Ham United captain Declan Rice.
The Gunners had their opening £80m offer plus add-ons – which would have been paid in slow instalments with a lot of tough contingencies attached to it – rejected by West Ham, who are holding out for £120m.
It is understood that the Hammers would accept £100m plus a player, though.
Manchester City and Manchester United are also interested in the 24-year-old.
Rice, who replaced Mark Noble as the Hammers’ skipper before the start of this season, has spent his entire professional career with the east London side.
The Gunners made bids for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo in the January transfer window and ultimately ended up signing Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea.
But Mikel Arteta, who mostly relied on Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard as his midfielders last season, remains keen to strengthen in that area of the field.
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