Finally, it’s been a long time coming but Declan Rice has officially been announced as an Arsenal player after joining from West Ham United.
Arsenal and West Ham agreed a deal of £105million in total which will see the England international become the most expensive British player of all-time, setting a new record. He will also become Arsenal’s most expensive ever signing, surpassing the £72million paid for Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
The Gunners fought off competition from some of the biggest clubs in world football, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Manchester United all trying to sign the 24-year-old at some point over the last year.
Arsenal promised Declan Rice they would pay whatever it takes to bring him to North London this summer. The club made it clear to the player months ago they would do whatever it takes to get him & in return Arsenal became Declan Rice’s number one priority. After speaking with Mikel Arteta and hearing this, the player only wanted Arsenal despite interest from other clubs.
READ MORE:Â Arsenal make final transfer decision on defender with clubs interested.
Mikel Arteta was the key in convincing Declan Rice that Arsenal was the right club to take the step up in his career. The Arsenal boss explained the five-phase plan the club is currently going through with Declan Rice being the key to take the Gunners to the next level, which is winning trophies. Arsenal are back in the Champions League for the first time in seven years next season and they don’t just want to compete, they want to try and win it. As well as going for the league title again.
Declan Rice always said if he was to leave West Ham it would be for a Champions League club with the aim of winning the biggest trophies around the world and it’s clear both Rice and club ambitions align.
Josh Kroenke has also played a big part in negotiations, as well as Edu, in securing the deal for their new record-signing. With a deal of this size, the Arsenal owner wanted to be involved in the negotiations to make sure the club done everything it could to get the deal over the line.
NEXT ARTICLE:Â Arsenal could save millions after signing extremely talented back-up to Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal have been on an upward trajectory since Mikel Arteta took over as head coach. They even challenged league giants Manchester City in the 2022/23 season for the Premier League title which very few people predicted at the start of the campaign. It is very clear that the club is heading in the right direction which is why so many players are attracted to the North London outfit this summer.
Mikel Arteta is leading one of Europe’s most exciting projects and the Arsenal boss is confident Declan Rice will be a part of it at the Emirates Stadium next season. With many new long-term contract extensions being agreed, as well as new signings such as Champions League winner Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal are looking to push again for the Premier League title next season and hopefully this time go one step further.
Declan Rice will now join up with his new teammates as they head to the United States to carry on their pre-season preparation ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Arsenal fans will hopefully see their new record-signing in action next week.
Declan Rice on why he made the move to Arsenal: “I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been going on. Not last season but the season before, they finished fifth but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing. Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with the exception of Man City.”
“With Mikel and how he works, the squad, how young everyone is, the energy around the club and also the challenge of getting Arsenal back to where they belong, that means a lot to me. I know the fans really want that. For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spend my best years at this great club.”
NEXT ARTICLE:Â Arsenal star agrees a move to Saudi Arabia.
