The Declan Rice saga between Arsenal and West Ham is set to drag on as a journalist explains the big hold up.
There has been claim and counter claim ad nauseam but the transfer saga between Arsenal, Manchester City and West Ham for the signature of Declan Rice had seemed to be coming to a close.
Manchester City have pulled out of the race after the Gunners submitted a British record £105m bid – £5m of which is in add-ons.
It was reported at the weekend that a top source inside West Ham had insisted Rice was ‘determined’ to join Arsenal.
So with Man City no longer an obstacle, the player keen and the record bid submitted, Arsenal fans were all ready to start getting their Rice shirts printed for next season and Hammers fans to say farewell.
Declan Rice saga between Arsenal and West Ham set to drag on as journalist explains the big hold up
As reported on Wednesday, though, West Ham majority owner David Sullivan has rejected the latest Arsenal offer due to the instalment terms in the deal.
Sullivan wants the money over a maximum of 18 months. Many assumed that West Ham would say jump and Arsenal would ask ‘how high’.
But as we head into the weekend, there is – at the time of writing – no resolution between the London rivals.
The Rice saga between Arsenal and West Ham is set to drag on as a journalist explains the big hold up.
‘It might not be imminently but…’
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Thursday night, David Ornstein explained Arsenal are yet to agree to West Ham’s demands over the payment terms.
As a result he expects the deal to drag on – possibly into next week, beyond the opening of the transfer window for international transfers.
“All parties are working towards a compromise – Arsenal need to get that structure of payment in place,” Ornstein says.
“Having had a fee accepted, I suspect they will and this should get wrapped up.
“It might not be tomorrow or imminently, but I imagine so in the next days or next week and Arsenal will get the man who is absolutely central to their and Mikel Arteta’s project.”
While that may frustrated and worry some Arsenal fans, it is also frustrating for West Ham.
Because David Moyes really needs to start making his own signings as he re-shapes his Hammers team.
Especially with pre-season getting underway next week before a first game against Boreham Wood in 11 days’ time.
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