Declan Rice Set to Complete Arsenal Transfer After Clubs Agree Payment Structure
Declan Rice is edging closer to completing his move to Arsenal after the clubs agreed on a payment structure for the midfielder. After lengthy negotiations, a deal worth £100m, plus £5m in add-ons was agreed last week and West Ham have now given their captain permission to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical.
The 24-year-old is expected to become an Arsenal player in the coming days and Mikel Arteta will hope to have Rice involved as early as possible in the Gunners’ pre-season schedule.
Arsenal and West Ham Reach Agreement
Arsenal and West Ham have finally hashed out a deal for Declan Rice, with the clubs coming to total agreement on the payment structure for the midfielder. The Athletic report that both clubs are now happy and West Ham have given their captain permission to finalise personal terms with the Gunners and undergo a medical.
The Gunners tried to get the England star for less than the astronomical £105m they have agreed, while Manchester City also matched their lower bid of £90m, trying to gazump their move. However, after lengthy negotiations, a deal worth £100m, plus £5m in add-ons was agreed last week, but there were further discussions over the structure of the initial amount.
Kai Havertz has already arrived at Arsenal this summer, signing from Chelsea, and the German is expected to play alongside Rice in a very different midfield to the one that took the Gunners to finishing second in the Premier League last season.
Arsenal Pre-Season Schedule
The Gunners have their first pre-season friendly on 13 July against Nurnberg, followed by meetings with MLS All-Stars, Manchester United, Barcelona and Monaco. Mikel Arteta will hope to have Rice involved as early as possible in that schedule as he intorgrates him into his new-look team.
Arsenal are also targeting £50m-rated Southampton star Romeo Lavia after Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber deals. With the transfer window open until October, there could be more arrivals at the Emirates before the start of the new season.
Conclusion
With Declan Rice set to complete his move to Arsenal in the coming days, Mikel Arteta will be eager to get him involved in pre-season as soon as possible. The Gunners have already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea and are targeting more signings before the start of the new season. It looks like it could be an exciting season for Arsenal fans as they look to build on their second-place finish last season.