Chairman confirms Newcastle United transfer target will leave after contract snub - bid expected

Arsenal are in pole position to sign the England international with a bid of around £90million expected. Newcastle United have been credited with an interest for Rice with head coach Eddie Howe a big admirer of the midfielder but will likely be priced out of a move.

Rice rejected a £200,000-a-week contract at West Ham last season and Newcastle’s current highest earners are only around the £120,000-a-week mark. In what is likely to be his final match for the club, the 24-year-old helped The Hammers to a Europa Conference League win on Wednesday, ending a 43 year wait for a major trophy.

West Ham chairman David Sullivan confirmed this week that the club had ‘promised’ to let Rice leave the club this summer transfer window.

“We have promised Declan Rice he could go,” he told talkSPORT. “He set his heart on going. He rejected our £200,000-a-week bid 18 months ago — I think offers will start to come today.”

“There are three or four clubs who have shown interest.”

While Newcastle are understood to be one of the clubs who have shown an interest, they are expected to miss out on Rice this summer. But it could still have a positive knock-on impact on The Magpies’ transfer business.

Arsenal will potentially look to sell players to recoup the transfer funds spent on Rice with left-back Kieran Tierney viewed as one of the club’s most saleable assets. Newcastle are looking to complete a £30million deal for the 26-year-old Scottish international.