West Ham have turned down Arsenal’s first bid for England midfielder Declan Rice.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen on bringing Rice to the Emirates having made him a priority in his summer transfer dealings. 

The club would however have to raise their bid for the 24-year-old as the Hammers were left unimpressed with their opening bid. 

According to the BBC, sources at West Ham expect further communication from Arsenal, although they are also anticipating an offer from Manchester City.

City, on their part, are mum on whether or not they will make a move for Rice.

This is as uncertainty continues to mount over the futures of captain Ilkay Gundogan and team-mate Bernardo Silva.

West Ham chairman David Sullivan had said he is “99%” sure that Rice, who captained the Hammers to victory in the Europa Conference League earlier this month, will leave the club this summer.

Rice has played 245 games and scored 15 goals for West Ham, having made his debut in the 2016-17 season after coming through the academy.

He has been capped 41 times by England, playing in all five of their matches at last winter’s World Cup.

Rice has one year left on his contract, although the Hammers have the option to extend that until the summer of 2025, leaving them in a strong position to negotiate a substantial transfer fee.