Arsenal fans meltdown after Man City enter the race for Declan Rice

Arsenal fans look away now because the inevitable financial juggernaut that is Manchester City are now interested in signing Declan Rice.

It's not exactly been a secret that Mikel Arteta wants to sign Rice from West Ham United this summer and they've already had two bids rejected for the midfielder.

However the Gunners aren't the only ones who have been linked with the 24-year-old, with both Manchester United and Manchester City said to be interested.

Erik ten Hag's side were reportedly willing to swap Harry Maguire or Scott McTominay as part of a deal to bring the England star to Old Trafford.

Realistically though it is City who are the most likely to compete with the Gunners for the midfielder, especially considering they have the biggest budget in football history.

Some of their fans also believed they had the advantage over the north Londoners due to something they spotted in a picture of the player.

And with City's interest now confirmed by the Athletic's transfer swami David Ornstein it looks like the Premier League champions could end up being his destination.

They are expected to make an opening bid in the near future, although it could be similar to Arsenal's rejected bid but with more reachable add ons and potentially over less time.

And Arsenal fans aren't too happy with the news. Of course Piers Morgan had a perfectly sensible reaction to the news, saying: "I’m not sure my spleen will survive City wrestling Rice away from us because we once again preferred pointless penny-pinching to getting crucial business done."

"Ornstein says City expected to submit bid for Rice today. Fabrizio says City will only bid if Rice is willing to join. If both are reliable, you can do the maths," added another.

A third was looking at it in a deeper way, replying: "Arsenal actually can’t allow this to happen not just about the player but what it says symbolically."

"Declan Rice is shaping up to be our Mykhailo Mudryk for the summer window. Incompetence of the highest order from Arsenal," claimed another fan.

"Next bid Arsenal submit has to be a serious one otherwise we have to take the L. Edu has to hang his head in shame," replied a fifth.

And on similar criticism of Edu another commented: "Honestly. If Edu missed out on his number one transfer target again for the 4th window in a row. Questions need be asked and he needs to remove himself or get fired."

Fans of the Gunners aren't the only ones worried about the deal, with Chelsea fans now concerned what the knock on effect will have on their team.

The Blues are yet to wrap up a move for Moises Caicedo and their fans were pleading to get it done quickly before their London rivals move on to the Brighton star.

And the rest of the league just has to beware of City being champions for a fourth season in-a-row and becoming the first English club to manage that.