I think that's why we waited so long. To get the nod from Rice but also to match Arsenal and if it lands it lands.
Declan Rice | signs for arsenal
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Would assume Kovacic is more the Gundogan replacement to play a bit more advanced.
Chelsea paying 107m quid for Fernandez has reset the expectations of selling clubs. Unfortunately for West Ham, not every club has a Boehly.
I swear the club sale to the Qataris just can't come soon enough. We can't do shit for as long as that massive debt hangs around.
Seeing Arsenal get gazumped once again would be kinda funny. Martinez, Mudryk, Rice.
It is hard to say no to City and Pep if he is promised a starting spot in the team.
The thought of City adding Gvardiol and Rice to their squad is just frightening
No worries at all because we got Scott (Bunny Hop) McTominay to take over in case Casemiro gets a red card or is injured or gets tired or loses a step.....
Maybe, but I think Kovacic will be a squad player can't see him starting every week
Seeing rumours Rice to City is done.
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I dont think West Ham rejected Arsenals bid cos 90m wasnt enough it was more about the structure of the deal. City are offering 5m more guaranteed and I bet whatever add ons they have are more realistic (to West Ham) than Arsenals. If say 5m of Arsenals 15m is payable on winning the league, and City offer the same, guess who West Ham will go with?
I can. He‘ll replace Gundogan. Rice will replace Stones who’ll drop into defence with Walker leaving. Gvardiol to replace Ake to become a back 3 with Dias and Stones.
I’ve given up guessing what we are up to.
I remain convinced once the price is set we will bid with players.
By the time Utd is ready to bid for Rice, he is probably retired from football.
United new DNA of "It's the thought that count".
Stay out of this and get Caicedo. He is the better player anyway.
Claret and Hugh are apparently really reliable too
By the time Utd is ready to bid for Caicedo, he is probably retired from football as well.
He'd be an excellent addition to the squad, but everything anyone has been reporting for absolutely ages is that he loves London, and is going to Arsenal.
City usually dont do bidding wars. If they have made this bid they think they can get him. Only a crazy bid from Arsenal takes him now I reckon.
90m for a DM from the 14th placed team, and the two top teams in the country are both happy to pay it….Footballs gone mad.
I'm not convinced Pep really wants Rice. I don't think he's a Pep style player, but City just don't want one of their closest rivals to get him. It was the same with Grealish. Sign him for 100m to stop any rivals signing him, then stick him on the bench for a year while you figure out what to do with him.
Clubs have always spent big on players they really wanted. However, we're now living in an era where there's a club who will break transfer records (and transfer rules) just to stop other clubs signing players. Financial doping on an industrial scale.
Clubs have always spent big on players they really wanted. However, we're now living in an era where there's a club who will break transfer records (and transfer rules) just to stop other clubs signing players. Financial doping on an industrial scale.
I think 14th is a low position from West Ham, after all they had Europe last year. And Rice is amongst if not the best player they have. Important for England too. It’s not as mad as you make out!
Yes agree with that. We should ideally match the same bid with different add ons like getting into CL and apperience based. But still figure has to be 90m. All that 100m/120m is just stupid money.
Doesn't make sense whatsoever. Southampton were 17th when Liverpool signed VVD from them.
It does make sense and just further underlines how good a player Rice already is and how much potential those teams think he has.
I hope we don’t offer something cheap like 40 mil plus McT plus Maguire. We could offer Sancho and Lindelöf on top and they will still not accept. If we are serious we should match the 90 mil bid in cash.
90m Jesus Wept 
If he was still Deco Rice playing for Ireland he'd be going for half that at most. The "English" tax is incredible
If he was still Deco Rice playing for Ireland he'd be going for half that at most. The "English" tax is incredible
Kind of feels like they just don't want Arsenal to have him.
Touchè but they finished 17th after he left. VVD left in the New Year, They were about mid table then.
need someone to post the Grandpa Simpson meme.Like Chelsea in the early Abramovich era. Still convinced they bought Damien Duff just so United or Liverpool couldn't buy him.
I hope you're aware that we bought a mostly defensive CM from a relegated Nottingham Forest for a then-record £3 million. That Irish midfielder went on to be a more than worthy successor to the most inspirational midfielder we had until then.
The jump to 3m in relative terms isn't the same as going to 90m.
Is he really a Pep type technical midfielder? Rodri's place in the team is set he's not being displaced, and Rice doesn't really display the qualities to fill Gundogan's role. They have enough centre backs already if it was some CB/CM hybrid role that they had planned for him.
not familiar with the concept of negotiation then
Gvardiol, Rice and Kovacic after winning the treble. Below is what we did after winning the treble.
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We are not getting Rice, Caicedo, Mount or Rabiot.
And we will overpay for an unexpected target.
And we will overpay for an unexpected target.
I checked the table for January 2018 before posting.
I bet you a tenner we get at least one
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