Declan Rice's asking price from West Ham proves too high for Arsenal.

According to 90min, Arsenal is currently the front-runner in the race to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, but they are not yet willing to match the Hammers' asking price for their captain. Other top clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich are also interested in Rice, now that the Hammers' Europa Conference League campaign has ended.

West Ham is expecting to receive numerous offers for Rice, as the club's chairman, David Sullivan, has confirmed that the Hammers have promised to part ways with Rice this summer, and the 24-year-old midfielder is ready for a new move. An asking price of £100m has been placed on Rice's head, and West Ham believes that the midfielder could end up commanding a higher fee if a bidding war ignites.

However, Arsenal is wary of paying such a hefty sum and values Rice closer to £90m instead. The Gunners are looking to strike a deal with an initial payment of £80m with add-ons to take the price higher. This difference in valuation could provide other suitors with a chance to enter the negotiation process, but sources have confirmed that Arsenal is confident that they will win the race for Rice's signature.

The club firmly believes that Arsenal is Rice's preferred destination, and they have confidence that this will help them fend off any competition if a transfer battle arises.

Although West Ham has not found a side yet that is willing to meet their demands, they are already preparing for Rice's departure and have drawn up a shortlist of targets to pursue. They have also launched a late move for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, while Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips and Fulham's Joao Palhinha are both admired.

Listeners can hear all the latest transfer news on this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network. Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth and Graeme Bailey to discuss the latest transfer rumors involving Ange Postecoglou's appointment at Spurs, Man Utd chasing Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Kane's potential move to Real Madrid, Lionel Messi's future, and more!

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