Declan Rice: Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Holds One-on-One Meeting to Convince Midfielder to Reject Arsenal Move
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has held a one-on-one meeting with West Ham captain Declan Rice in an attempt to convince him to reject a move to Arsenal. The England international is at the centre of a tug-of-war between Arsenal and City, with West Ham having rejected City’s opening bid for Rice, which was believed to be an initial £80m with a further £10m of add-ons.
Arsenal’s Interest in Rice
Arsenal have put up significant groundwork into a move to sign Rice, with the midfielder said to favour a move to the Emirates. This is in part due to Mikel Arteta making early contact with the player and selling him a vision of becoming a prominent figure of Arsenal for years to come.
Pep Guardiola’s Intervention
However, the Guardian report that Guardiola intervened towards the end of last season in a bid to convince Rice to join City instead. City have greater financial muscle than Arsenal but a decision will come down to where Rice would prefer to move. With Ilkay Gundogan joining Barcelona, a place in City’s midfield has been freed up. There is also doubt over Bernardo Silva’s future at the club given interest from Saudi Arabia.
Third Bid From Arsenal Expected
Arsenal are expected to submit a third bid for Rice this week, while Manchester United retain an interest.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen which club Rice will choose, but it is clear that Guardiola is doing all he can to ensure that it is Manchester City. With the financial power and ambition of the club, it is no surprise that they are in pole position for the midfielder’s signature.