Arsenal have made their latest offer for Declan Rice. With another milestone achieved, Liverpool and FSG will feel their transfer strategy is justified.

While Liverpool fans are getting nervous that they’ve only completed one transfer so far, the rest of the big six are all but at a standstill.

Manchester City have announced Mateo Kovačić, while Chelsea had signed a deal for Christopher Nkunku well in advance, but there’s little else to write home about as several sagas unfold.

Chief among these is the situation of Declan Rice, with West Ham doing their best to push the price of their valuable asset as high as possible.

Arsenal appear to have managed to outlast Manchester City, with their latest offer prompting Pep Guardiola’s side to withdraw from the fray (The Athletic), but there is now a huge amount of money on the table.

Not yet technically accepted by West Ham, Arsenal’s latest formal offer guarantees a whopping $126m (£100m/€116m), with a small number of add-ons bringing the total value of the offer up to $133m (£105m). /121 million euros). This will particularly strike Liverpool as a very significant figure.

To begin with, it’s well above Liverpool’s transfer record, with the FSG never having approved anything even close to this area.

No doubt the owners will be surprised to see Arsenal spending so generously after being out of the Champions League for so long. But the ultimate value of Arsenal’s offer is particularly surprising as it is exactly three times what Liverpool have already paid to bring Alexis Mac Allister to the club. This difference speaks volumes.

Let me be clear: the FSG model is far from perfect. Claiming that a club is completely self-sustainable places a limit on ambition, a limit that is harder to challenge with each new state-backed acquisition.

Given the more than tenfold increase in value the owners have seen at Liverpool, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that he should be willing to put some money into it, with any huge profit still very certain. But there’s a good middle ground between that and penalizing exorbitant fees for ill-conceived transfer moves.

That’s not to say Arsenal are necessarily wrong in going after Rice, but question marks must be raised as to whether this is really the wisest use of such huge funds.

After all, Liverpool faced a very similar arithmetic when deciding whether or not to pursue Jude Bellingham in hot pursuit. He came to the decision to move forward and basically came to the conclusion that he could get three very good midfielders for the same price.

In Rice’s case, given the value of Arsenal’s latest offer, that appears to be literally true. Even the most ardent Gooner (or West Ham supporter) wouldn’t say Rice is three times stronger than Mac Allister. He has more of a top sample and is a homegrown player – Arsenal will pay for that luxury.

But even then, he’s still a player with just a year on his contract and able to negotiate a free transfer in around six months. In this context, the advertised fees are truly mind-blowing.

The question that needs to be asked is whether Rice is a truly transformative acquisition. If so, the concept of “value” sort of almost goes out the window.

Realistically, no one in this region will ever sign a contract anywhere in this region for the club to end up making a profit – the large bounty is accepted because of what it will mean on the pitch. It is clear that Arsenal think they have found that player.

If the move continues, time will tell how correct that judgment is. But for Liverpool, the numbers now fed into Rice’s saga only confirm Mac Allister’s masterstroke. However, FSG will be satisfied with their plan, confident they can strengthen at least as much as Arsenal this transfer window without overpaying.

More news……

Nicolo Barella might be able to obtain his ideal Liverpool jersey number after the transfer

Liverpool have long been linked with the transfer of a midfielder from Inter Milan and Italy

Jürgen Klopp has made no secret of his admiration for Nicolo Barella and – in an ideal world – could be the perfect addition to his Liverpool squad.

A box-to-box midfielder with numerous attributes, Barella has long been linked with a move to Anfield as speculation about his future at Inter Milan mounts this summer. That said, there is a complication or two when it comes to a proposed transfer to Liverpool.

After initial plans to target Jude Bellingham were scrapped due to the huge financial cost, price remains an issue.

Even if they decide to capitalize on their star player, Inter would like around £80m for Barella, who still has three years on his contract.

However, reports from Italian publication Il Tempo suggest the figure could actually be closer to €80m (£68m). However, other clubs like Newcastle United are hiding behind his commitment anyway.

Another point to consider is that Liverpool are not securing their place in the Champions League.

However, the Reds still have enormous power and if all goes to plan their ban from Europe’s top competition will only last 12 months if they finish in the top four again next season.

Perhaps the biggest problem comes from the player itself. Inter are said to be ‘open’ to a sale but conflicting reports suggest Barella is ‘happy’ with the San Siro and has no intention of leaving the club.

This is where Klopp and his public admiration could come in. Depending on the financial means, the 26-year-old would obviously be welcomed with open arms at Anfield.

Should he ever land, a dream jersey number awaits – with a little catch. Barella currently wears Inter’s number 23 and has worn it since arriving from Cagliari three summers ago.

Of course, that particular shirt is currently worn by Luis Diaz, but there’s a chance the Colombian will decide to switch to the club’s legendary No.7 after James Milner dropped him when he left. Other team numbers now available include: 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 24 and 25 – plus other options in the 30s and 40s.