Arsenal seal £105m Declan Rice transfer as summer spending spree continues

15 July 2023 , 12:03

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Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham for a club-record transfer fee as Mikel Arteta continues his summer spending spree.

The midfielder becomes the Gunners' third signing of the window after Kai Havertz arrived from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber joined from Ajax. A £105million fee has been agreed between the two clubs, with Rice penning a long-term contract in north London.

Rice, 24, will bank a reported £240,000 per-week at the Emirates Stadium, a significant increase on his current £60,000 a-week deal which was set to run out next summer. He will also play in the Champions League for the first time in his career after the Gunners finished second in the Premier League last season.

Speaking after the move was announced, Arteta told the club's website: "We're really happy that Declan is joining us. He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now.

"Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here. Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us."

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Sporting Director Edu added: "Declan is a player with fantastic ability and a proven record at both club and international levels. The process of this transfer has been a big team effort with a clear plan, and we are so happy that Declan is joining us.

Declan Rice has signed a long-term deal at Arsenal (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

"Declan is a high-quality, young international player who will add great strength to our squad, fitting so well into our strategy of competing with young talented players at the centre of our club. It's great that Declan will be joining up with Mikel, our coaches and his new teammates in good time ahead of the new season."

The transfer brings to an end a nine-year association for Rice at West Ham since joining the Hammers as a teenager after his release from Chelsea. He made his senior debut on the final day of the 2016/17 season, before going on to have a breakout campaign the following year, making 31 appearances in all competitions.

Rice slowly became a vital asset in the Hammers' midfield and was first linked with a move to Manchester United in 2019 after an excellent second season in east London. Having then changed his international allegiance from Republic of Ireland to England, Rice earned his first Three Lions cap in March 2019 and he has not looked back from there, featuring 43 times for his country, scoring three goals.

Declan Rice is an Arsenal player (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

It's for his club where Rice has made a name for himself, however. The midfielder has won the Hammers' Player of the Year in three of the past four years and captained the side as they secured their first major trophy in 43 years earlier month. David Moyes' men lifted the Europa Conference by beating Fiorentina 2-1, with Jarrod Bowen netting a last-minute winner in Prague.

After the game, chairman David Sullivan admitted that the success over Fiorentina would be Rice's final game for the club, amid interest from elsewhere. Rice, who has scored 15 times in 245 appearances for West Ham, was linked with Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal amongst others at the start of the window.

Declan Rice has signed a long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

However, Arsenal and City quickly became the frontrunners as the Gunners lodged two bids worth up to £85m, while Pep Guardiola's men proposed a £90m offer. This sparked Arsenal to launch an even higher third bid in the region of £100m plus £5m in add-ons - which West Ham accepted.

Rice will join fellow summer signings Havertz and Timber at Arsenal as Arteta prepares for their return to the Champions League. The Gunners have not competed in Europe's elite club competition since 2017 and are expected to further strengthen their squad in the window, with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both linked.

Kieran King