Signing Declan Rice will break Arsenal's transfer record. Credit: PA/John Walton
Arsenal and West Ham United have reached a full £105m deal for Declan Rice, with the midfielder due to undergo a medical in the coming days.
After weeks of talks over the amount of the fee, and then the structure of payments, Arsenal made an offer that West Ham considers completely acceptable.
Arsenal will pay a guaranteed £100m for Rice, with a further £5m to be paid in surcharges if certain conditions are met. The deal will break the club's transfer record of the £72m they paid for Nicolas Pepe in the summer of 2019.
The guaranteed portion of the fee is expected to be paid in three installments over the period. 24 months after West Ham insisted it could not be extended for a longer period.
With the additions, Rice will become the second most expensive British player in history behind his England teammate Jude Bellingham, who recently joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in a deal that could end up worth £115m.
Telegraph Sport analysis Arsenal fans should be thrilled with what Rice brings
Sam Dean
West Ham United have long known what Declan Rice is capable of. David Moyes knew this, as did the midfielder's teammates at the London stadium. All these observers are convinced that there is still a lot to be done from Rice, and the player himself shares this opinion.
That's why the club wasn't surprised when Rice scored arguably the best goal of his career last season. Picking up the ball in his own half in West Ham's Conference League quarter-finals against Gent, he passed two defenders before driving the ball into the corner with his weaker left foot.
It was not the moment that Rice regularly showed in a West Ham jersey. Some observers and experts would not even think that he was able to score such a goal. After all, he was often mocked for being too defensive, too evasive. “He has a lot more to do,” Roy Keane said this year, for example.
But from West Ham's point of view, that goal against Gent was just a brief glimpse of Rice's true potential. “If someone didn’t think he could do it, then he was completely naive,” Moyes said that April night. “And they're not watching closely enough.”
Declan Rice leads West Ham 3-1 in style!! 🔥
What an escape from the captain of West Ham! 🤩#UECL pic.twitter.com/LJRSUwIX4G
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 20, 2023
The perception of Rice as a combative defensive midfielder is reasonable given his performances for West Ham in recent years. He is tough and strong and his understanding of the game has helped him become one of the best midfield destroyers in Europe.
But those who know Rice and watch him regularly know that more is possible; More runs, more assists, more assists, more goals, more decisive moments.
“There are so many details in his game,” Moyes said last season. “He doesn't always show them. He has a good character, but he can show his personality even more. If he does, you will see a lot more aspects of his game. Many people think it's not there, but let me tell you it is.”
In a 2021 interview, Rice said he drew inspiration from people like Yaya Toure and Patrick Vieira. how he developed his style. Toure and Vieira are two great midfielders in the Premier League, both all-conquering titans in midfield, and that's exactly what Rice hopes to be.
Obviously, based on the size of the planned investment in Rice, Arsenal believes he is capable of it. The club will not offer more than £100m for a player unless they are convinced of his talent and his place in their project. This fee is the ultimate proof of how much Mikel Arteta wants him, and how much Arsenal need him now.
Arsenal's move for Rice should be viewed in two ways: on and off the pitch. As for his impact on the pitch, the 24-year-old arrives as a defensive midfielder candidate in place of Thomas Partey or as a box-to-box player replacing Germany's Granite. Jaka. Last year, Arteta found a way to improve Xhaka's game and make him a real threat to the net. Few were expecting this and if Arteta can do this to Xhaka, Arsenal fans will be in awe of what he can do to a player like Rice.
Rice offers a level of athleticism and fitness that Arsenal sometimes lacked last season. This was especially true of Manchester City in their 4-1 defeat in April, when Arsenal were intimidated by the stronger side. With Rice racing through midfield and flying into tackles, Arsenal will be a much more imposing team.
The England international can also play in central defence, if required. There is a fluidity and flexibility in his skill set that will allow Arteta to further develop his side if this deal is completed as is now expected. In May, the Arsenal coach revealed that he had tactical ideas that he had not yet been able to implement at the club. Players like Rice will help him make those dreams come true.
Mikel Arteta has long admired Declan Rice. Photo: Getty Images/Ben Stansall
Off the field, In addition, Rice meets all the requirements of Arsenal: young, ambitious and with strong leadership qualities. There's a reason why Rice was handed the captaincy at West Ham and was expected to be one of Arsenal's senior players right away. Jaka's imminent departure will create a void in this regard, one that Rice seems well placed to fill.
At Rice, Arsenal are looking to sign more than just a player who can take the team one step closer to trophy glory. They are also looking to sign someone who can represent the future of the club and can grow alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba. Arsenal have built a new core and they are convinced that Rice can further strengthen those foundations.
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