Report: West Ham reject Arsenal's £80M bid for Rice; City may enter race

Arsenal have fallen short in their initial attempt to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice.

West Ham rejected the north London club's opening offer for the 24-year-old worth around £80 million, according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg.

The Hammers are reportedly preparing for Manchester City to enter the bidding as well, with hopes of selling the England international for a fee closer to their £100-million valuation.

Arsenal were considered favorites to land Rice earlier this week, but their offer fell below expectations. The proposal included a pledge to pay the fee over a prolonged period and featured add-ons seen as hard to achieve, Steinberg adds.

A City offer could potentially "blow Arsenal out of the water," a source told Steinberg.

Manchester City have also been linked with Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic and are attempting to re-sign Ilkay Gundogan to a new contract.

Rice, who has a year left on his contract, reportedly prefers to remain in London. It was revealed earlier in June that West Ham will grant him his wish to leave this summer after winning the Europa Conference League title.