Premier League runner-up Arsenal has finally reached a full agreement over key summer target Declan Rice after beating out Manchester City to the West Ham United captain and England star, with the 24-year-old expected to complete his move to the Emirates in the coming days.
According to The Mail’s Sami Mokbel, the clubs have finally hashed out the final details surrounding a record £105m bid for Rice in a deal that not only will make him the most expensive British footballer in history but saw the Gunners flex their own market muscle to get one over on burgeoning domestic rivals Manchester City.
🚨 BREAKING: Arsenal FINALLY reach £105m agreement with West Ham for Declan Rice, with the Gunners set to pay a club-record fee for the Hammers captain
✍️ @SamiMokbel81_DM https://t.co/bjwVFj9qaw pic.twitter.com/NE9oUW7FPL
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) June 28, 2023
The Premier League champions had officially entered the race for Rice with an official bid of £90m, matching Arsenal’s second offer for the England midfielder, before the Gunners returned with their nine-figure offer which ultimately saw City immediately pull out of contention.
Further reports from The Athletic’s David Ornstein mention both clubs are working on a resolution surrounding payment plans before the conclusion of the deal.
Rice has long been earmarked as the number one summer transfer target for Mikel Arteta and club technical director Edu Gaspar as the Gunners look to take the next step in the budding project under their young Spanish manager after coming so close to ending their nineteen-year run of missing out on Premier League honors.
It is widely anticipated that Rice will slot into the holding midfield role at the Emirates behind an expected duo of club captain Martin Ødegaard and fellow summer signing Kai Havertz, in a new-look tactical schematic that will go through another evolution cycle in what has been a hallmark trait of the club under Arteta since he took the reins from Unai Emery.
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