Transfer season is always a strange time. With no football to talk about, fans resort to tracking flights, watching YouTube compilations are creating their dream starting line-ups.It’s also an interesting period for pundits, who are left to analyse transfer business across various leagues, leading some to occasionally blurt out some interesting theories.The latest to come out with a bizarre claim is former Chelsea player Eni Aluko, who spoke on TalkSport about Manchester City and Arsenal’s battle to sign West Ham United’s captain Declan Rice.
What did Eni Aluko say about Rice?
Aluko said that she believes Mikel Arteta could have prompted Pep Guardiola’s move for the midfielder, so that Arsenal’s owners are forced to place a higher bid and get the deal done.
Guardiola helping last season’s closest challengers to sign one of the best midfielders in the league would certainly be an interesting move, to say the least. And it’s not even clear how much the Gunners would be helped by City making Rice’s transfer fee higher.
The claim comes out of nowhere, and remains a controversial one, given the fact that the former Chelsea star has claimed that Arteta and Guardiola are secretly working together to strengthen Arsenal.
Speaking on TalkSport (via HLTCO), Aluko came out with an astonishing claim, referencing her time spent as the sporting director of Los Angeles side Angel City FC.
She said: “I think there’s a lot of cat and mouse going on here. As a sporting director, I used to do this a lot.
“So I used to call up a big club and say, can you put a bid in, and that would get my owner to basically put a higher bid in. It’s a bit like an auction, isn’t it?
“I don’t think Manchester City actually want to sign Declan Rice, I think what’s going on here is Arteta’s picked up the phone to Pep and said, listen, Arsenal are going to do the incremental bid approach, if you put a bid in, it will push my owner.
“I think there’s a bit of that going on here.”
What’s the latest on Declan Rice?
As of right now, West Ham are holding firm for the right price. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the Hammers have rejected Arsenal’s offer of £75m plus £15m in add-ons as well as Man City’s offer of £80m and £10m in add-ons.
The battle is certainly on for the England international’s signature, it just remains to be seen who provides the most suitable offer, and which destination Rice ultimately chooses this summer.
With the treble winners and a side on the up to choose from, Rice is spoilt for choice, that’s for sure.