After a deal for a British record was reached a little over two weeks ago, Arsenal had finally secured their man, Declan Rice.
The deal was worth £ 105 million for the talismanic midfielder. The offer was enough to fend off rivals Manchester City to his signature.
Arsenal attempted to match the West Ham valuation by exceeding their club record cost, but it was rejected last month.
Manchester City got into the race but subsequently had their formal offer rejected. It was an initial £ 80 million with an extra £10m in add-ons.
The former West Ham skipper’s contract will undoubtedly be an essential ingredient in Mikel Arteta’s armory. Rice looks like the perfect replacement for the Swiss midfield general, Granit Xhaxa who left for Bayern Leverkusen.
After the Hammers won the Europa Conference League, it was clear he was moving toward the door.
Rice has made 245 appearances for West Ham since making his debut in 2017. Rice operates silently in the middle of the park while ensuring his team maintains the lion’s share of possession. He’s not clumsy when making challenges and has shown good positional discipline in West London.
Rice expected to shine at Arsenal
Following Arsenal’s meteoric rise that saw them become a pertinent part of the title narrative, Mikel Arteta knows his men can continue with their momentum if they bring in the right reinforcements.
Rice could be the one to make the difference at Arsenal, a team that has often showed promise but has failed to deliver. His leadership qualities will most certainly come in handy.
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Arsenal have now acquired the services of Kai Havertz from Chelsea as well as Jurrien Timber from Ajax. Reports suggest their next phase in the transfer window will be to focus on outgoings at the club to recoup some of the funds spent.
