Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with West Ham to sign Declan Rice for £105m, according to reports. Manchester City had also made an offer for the England international, but his withdrawal from the transfer race saw the Gunners go ahead with a statement acquisition.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan admitted earlier this month that Rice would leave West Ham before the start of next season. With the player desperate to play in the Champions League, he has not been short of options with the top three teams in last season’s Premier League all showing great interest.
However, Manchester United and Man City look set to be without them, as the Daily Mail claim that Arsenal are now closing in on a club record signing. A deal is believed to have been reached in principle in which Hammers Bank will guarantee £100m, with a further £5m in potential add-ons.
City have pulled out after seeing an offer worth £90m turned down by West Ham, which is set to collect a British record fee for its star midfielder and club captain.
Arsenal and West Ham have been involved in advanced talks, with negotiations on Wednesday focused on clarifying the finer details of the deal. The Gunners are looking to spread the £100m down payment over the next four years.
West Ham understandably would like to see the money paid in fewer installments, but the discrepancy is being described as “minor” and the deal will become official in the coming days. Rice has always been seen as a supporter of a move to Arsenal, despite City’s notable success last season.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Express US Sport, former West Ham academy star Sebastian Lletget recently spoke about Rice’s situation. “Sometimes you want to have one team and then that’s a clear choice,” he said.
“I think that’s where you can grow the most, you know? It’s the right balance between challenge and growth. It is very difficult. Do you want to be trained by Pep (Guardiola) or do you want to be trained by Arteta? That is a very good problem (to have). I would choose Arsenal.”
2023-06-29 02:11:32
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