Arsenal, West Ham ‘agree deal’ for Rice as report reveals Arteta’s vision for £105m record signing
Arsenal have reportedly reached an agreement with West Ham for the signing of Declan Rice.
Mikel Arteta made Rice his number-one summer target back in January and has been laying the groundwork for the signing since then.
The England midfielder has rejected several offers to extend his West Ham contract, meaning a summer transfer was always on the cards.
Arsenal had two bids turned down by the Hammers, which allowed Manchester City to make a bid, though this was also rejected.
And a week after their second offer was rebuffed, the Gunners came back with a whopping £105million bid, which saw City end their pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Thankfully for us all, this transfer saga looks to be nearing its conclusion.
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After City decided not to match Arsenal’s bid, the two London clubs have been tweaking the terms of the £105m offer.
According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have ‘finally’ reached an ‘agreement’ with the Irons for the signing of their captain, with an announcement ‘expected soon’.
The report states: ‘Arsenal are on the verge of signing their No 1 target Declan Rice after agreeing a deal in principle with West Ham worth £105million.
‘Having tabled their third offer, comprising of £100m in guaranteed cash plus a further £5m in bonuses, officials from both clubs were locked in advanced talks on Wednesday with a view to ironing out the finer details of the deal’s structure.
‘Mail Sport understands that Arsenal’s offer proposed the guaranteed portion of the fee be paid over the course of four years.’
It is said personal terms will not be a problem and Rice is expected to pen a long-term contract worth £250,000 per week.
Rice has ‘always preferred’ a move to Arsenal even with City showing interest in recent weeks.
Mikel Arteta has been key in persuading the England international to join the Gunners and the report claims he sees the player as a ‘future captain’.
The news was also confirmed by reliable Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg as well as Ben Jacobs, David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano.
Rice has played 245 times for West Ham and captained them to Europa Conference League glory earlier this month.
The £105m Arsenal are set to pay will be a club record fee, shattering the £72m they paid for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. It will also be the highest fee paid for a British player.
