Manchester City 'pull out' of race to sign West Ham United's Declan Rice

Arsenal still pushing to sign the English midfielder

Manchester City have abandoned the pursuit of Declan Rice while the Gunners remain interested as Arsenal submitted a third proposal of £105 million.

Mail reports that the reigning Premier League champions will no longer pursue the midfielder because they are reluctant to go to such lengths.

Although Arsenal had made all the moves and prioritised Declan Rice's acquisition to lead another attempt at the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola had sought the 43-cap England international to sit beside Rodri in the City midfield.

Marc Cucurella, Jorginho, Harry Maguire, Alexis Sanchez, and Kalidou Koulibaly were among the more recent players in which City withdrew interest.

On Tuesday, the Gunners made a bid of £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons, and City has made it clear that they do not intend to match that amount. Rice is prepared to tell West Ham to approve the offer, giving Mikel Arteta and Arsenal a big boost.

However, insiders in a position to know indicate that the negotiations are still going on, mainly regarding the deal's structure, and that the proposal hasn't been confirmed.

The guaranteed share of the cost must be paid before the beginning of 2025, presumably in two instalments, as Mail Sport reported earlier this month. Arsenal reportedly wants to pay the sum over a five-year period.

And discussions about finding a compromise on the deal's structure will continue on Wednesday morning, with Arsenal eager to achieve a compromise in order to secure Rice's acquisition. Their bid is higher than West Ham's £100 million estimate for the England player.

The two teams are currently engaged in negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement that would make Rice the most-priced British player ever, surpassing the £100 million Man City paid to acquire Jack Grealish.

Following the anticipated acquisition of Rice and the £65 million purchase of Kai Havertz, Arsenal will make significant efforts in recent campaigns to catch up to their rivals.