Heading: West Ham and Arsenal Negotiating Payment Terms for Declan Rice Transfer
West Ham and Arsenal are currently in talks to finalize the payment terms for the £105m transfer of Declan Rice. The Gunners have reached an agreement in principle to sign the 24-year-old England star, with a record fee between two British clubs of £100m plus £5m in add-ons.
Negotiations have been ongoing regarding the structure of the upfront payment. While personal terms have already been agreed upon, the two clubs are discussing whether the £100m sum should be paid in full by the start of 2025 or staggered over a longer period. Sources close to the deal expect these discussions to conclude by the beginning of next week.
Despite these minor payment issues, the deal is still expected to go through smoothly. West Ham has been firm in their stance to secure the deal they desire. Both Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Rice are eager to complete the transfer as soon as possible, with a medical examination ready to be arranged once they receive the green light.
Rice is currently on holiday and was not expected back at West Ham for another two weeks after his recent international duties with England. However, Arteta wants Rice to be fully integrated into Arsenal before their pre-season tour to the United States, with their opening game scheduled against the MLS All-Stars on July 20.
Arsenal made their third offer for Rice on Tuesday night, following two previous rejections. Their initial bid included a club-record £75m plus £15m in add-ons. Rival club Manchester City also made an offer of £80m plus £10m on Monday night but surprisingly withdrew from the pursuit on Tuesday morning. City was unwilling to exceed their own valuation of the player and hesitant to surpass the £100m they spent on Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in August 2021.
In addition to the potential signing of Rice, Arsenal has already confirmed the arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m. They are also close to securing a deal for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber for around £40m.
As the negotiations between West Ham and Arsenal continue, football fans eagerly await the outcome of this high-profile transfer. The finalization of payment terms will determine when Rice officially becomes an Arsenal player and how the funds will be distributed by the two clubs.