Manchester City are preparing to rival Arsenal in the race to sign Declan Rice by making a formal offer for the West Ham United midfielder, sources told ESPN.
City have been monitoring developments as Arsenal had two bids rejected earlier this month for the 24-year-old, the latest of which totalled £90 million ($114.9m) comprising £75m ($89.3m) and a further £15m ($19.1m) in add-ons.
Sources have told ESPN that City were waiting for Ilkay Gundogan to decide his future before moving for a new midfielder, and now that he has chosen to turn down a new deal to join Barcelona, Pep Guardiola's side are ready to act.
West Ham value Rice in excess of £100m ($127.6m), and Arsenal are expected to return with a third offer. It remains to be seen how much City are willing to bid but the Premier League champions signalling their interest will likely drive up the fee.
