Declan Rice cemented his West Ham legacy by helping his boyhood team lift the Europa Conference League against Fiorentina in early June, but it now seems inevitable that that victorious night in Prague will prove to the midfielder's final appearance for the Irons.
Rice has just one year left to run on the contract he signed back in 2018 and now looks all but certain to move on this summer - despite the club's attempt to tie him down to a new eight-year deal. Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United were all mooted as possible destinations, but in the end, the bidding war has come down to Manchester City and Arsenal.
In a reversal of last season's Premier League title race, it is the Gunners who look set to come out on top. Their third bid, lodged on Tuesday evening, is an initial £100 million ($127m) plus £5m in add-ons, and City have made it clear that they are unwilling to match it, leaving the runway clear for Arsenal to get the deal done.
Eyebrows have been raised at that price tag, so is Rice really a player worth spending a nine-figure fee on?
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