Declan Rice Next Club Odds: Who Will Sign The West Ham Captain This Summer?

Man City have been installed as the new favourites to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice after registering an interest in the England midfielder.

Betting sites were offering just 1/3 on Arsenal signing Rice earlier this week, but the Gunners had two bids rejected.

Their “pointless penny-pinching” may now come back to haunt them, as Man City have now emerged as formidable opponents in a transfer tug-of-war.

City captain Ilkay Gundogan has announced that he is leaving the club to join Barcelona, leaving the treble winners with a gap in their squad.

They have agreed a £25m deal to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, but manager Pep Guardiola may decide he needs another midfielder.

He has a penchant for purchasing English midfielders for extravagant fees, so City are now the favourites to sign Rice.

However, Arsenal have put in a lot of groundwork and they will not give up without a fight, while Manchester United and Chelsea may still get involved in the bidding.

With that in mind, we have analysed the leading contenders to capture Rice’s signature this summer and assessed their chances of doing so.

Declan Rice Transfer Speculation: Man City's Position In Next Club Odds

Man City pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title last season, and they could now be on the brink of usurping the Gunners once again.

Rice is Mikel Arteta’s top transfer target this summer, so City’s owners know that purchasing him would bolster their squad, while potentially weakening a key rival.

They did not signal an interest in signing the West Ham skipper until Gundogan announced that he would be joining Barcelona.

Kovacic looks like a solid replacement for the Germany international, even if he is a little more defensive in his approach.

However, Guardiola is a long-term admirer of Rice, and he could now swoop for the 24-year-old midfielder.

Kalvin Phillips joined from Leeds last summer, but the move has not worked out, and Rice could be viewed as an upgrade on his international teammate.

Guardiola also had success with a double pivot in midfield last term, deploying John Stones alongside Rodri, and the idea of partnering Rice and Rodri may appeal.

City made Jack Grealish the most expensive Englishman of all time a couple of years ago, and they could now make a huge bid for Rice.

They may even use Phillips as a makeweight in the deal, which may appeal to West Ham manager David Moyes, who failed in a bid to sign him last summer.

As such, they have become the odds-on favourites to snap him up, priced at just 13/20 with football betting sites.

Arsenal Second Favourites In Declan Rice Next Club Odds 

The Gunners have drifted all the way out to 7/4 with Ladbrokes to sign Rice after embarking on a potentially ill-conceived pursuit of their top transfer target.

Their first bid fell well short of West Ham’s expectations, and the Hammers then rejected Arsenal’s second bid, as they were unhappy with the structure.

It included a guaranteed £75m, plus £15m in add-ons, which would have taken the potential deal to £90m.

However, West Ham reportedly felt the add-ons were unrealistic, while the £75m was to be paid in too many instalments, and the overall bid still fell short of their valuation of at least £100m.

Arsenal may have felt inclined to dawdle after Bayern Munich pulled out of the race, leaving them as the main suitors for Rice.

However, they no longer have that luxury, as they will need to move quickly to negotiate a fee with West Ham and convince the player that his future still lies at Arsenal.

He remains keen to join Arsenal despite Man City’s plan for a rival bid, according to the Guardian, but his head may be turned, so time is of the essence for Edu.

Next Club Odds Predict Man Utd As Potential Destination For Declan Rice

Signing Rice would represent a major coup for Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag, who is bidding to rebuild the team with energetic youngsters.

The Red Devils have plenty of holding midfielders, but Casemiro is now 31 years old, and Fred and Scott McTominay have struggled in the United engine room.

Rice would represent an exciting addition to the Man Utd squad, as he could either play alongside Casemiro in a double-pivot or anchor the midfield by himself when the Brazil international is absent.

They can offer him Champions League football, and they do not lack the resources to sign him, despite the unresolved bidding process for the club.

However, they are currently busy trying to tie up a deal for Mason Mount, Rice’s friend and fellow Chelsea youth academy graduate, and they are seen as outsiders for the West Ham captain.

They also need to prioritise the signing of a new striker this summer, so they are currently 16/1 outsiders to sign the England man. 

Chelsea's Odds In Declan Rice Next Club Market: What Are The Chances?

Rice spent seven years learning his trade as a member of Chelsea’s academy before the club decided to release him in 2014.

Their loss was West Ham’s gain, as the Hammers quickly brought the prodigiously talented 14-year-old to East London, where he continued his development.

The rest is history: Rice broke into the Hammers’ first team at the age of 18, and he is now the youngest captain in the Premier League.

Chelsea have tried to bring him back to Stamford Bridge in the past, but West Ham have always rebuffed their overtures.

The Hammers have now admitted that he will leave the club, and there is still a chance that Chelsea will get involved in the bidding process.

However, they know that he is keen to play in the Champions League, which they cannot currently offer after finishing 12th in the Premier League table last term.

As such, they have ramped up their pursuit of Moises Caicedo, another holding midfielder, so they are now 25/1 to sign Rice.

Assessing the Likelihood of Declan Rice Joining Bayern Munich

A week ago, the German champions were priced at 6/1 with Bet365 to sign Rice from West Ham this summer.

However, they have now lengthened to 50/1 after reportedly pulling out of the race to sign him.

It would certainly be unusual for Bayern to spend £100m or more on a new signing, even if he is just 24 years of age.

Their record signing was Lucas Hernandez, who arrived from Atletico Madrid in an €80m deal back in 2019, and they have not come close to breaking that record since then.

Manager Thomas Tuchel apparently identified Rice as the perfect holding midfielder for his preferred system, but they may have been priced out of the market.

It would also be difficult to convince him to leave England, so the chances of Rice moving to Bavaria now look slim.

The Race For Declan Rice: Breaking Down The Next Club Odds

Newcastle are above Bayern in the prices at 33/1 with BetUK, followed by Liverpool (50/1), Real Madrid (80/1) and Tottenham (100/1).

The Magpies certainly have the financial firepower to bring him to Tyneside, but they do not yet have the pulling power of Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Liverpool’s finances took a hit when they failed to qualify for the Champions League, and that will also dent their chances of signing Rice.

It is inconceivable that he would join Tottenham, while Real Madrid already have a glut of high-quality midfielders, so it still looks like a two-way fight between Man City and Arsenal right now.