The Declan Rice transfer saga is finally done and dusted: The former West Ham United midfielder and UEFA Europa Conference League-winning captain will become a member of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the coming season, after both English Premier League clubs reached an agreement for the star player. The 24-year-old Kingston upon Thames-born central defensive midfielder will cut short his offseason holiday and arrive at the Emirates Stadium for his medical prior to signing the contract for his new club Arsenal.
Declan Rice Transfer to Arsenal: Most Valuable Arsenal Footballer, Second-Most Expensive Player in England National Team and Premier League Histories
The Declan Rice transfer, which costs the Gunners £105 million (A fee of £100 million plus add-ons worth £5 million), will make the football player to break all sorts of transfer records in the history of football.
In terms of English Premier League history, Declan Rice is set to become the second-most expensive player ever, trailing only Enzo Fernández’s £106.8-million move from Primeira Liga’s S.L. Benfica to another London outfit Chelsea after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Besides, this deal is only bested by Jude Bellingham in the list of the most expensive England national team players, after the former wonderkid from German Bundesliga 1’s Borussia Dortmund famously completed his £115-million transfer to Spanish La Liga side Real Madrid last month.
What is more is that should this Declan Rice transfer eventually materialise, it will also mean that the former Chelsea and West Ham United academy player is the first and only £100-million transfer the three-time Premier League champion has ever had, making him the most valuable player in the history of Arsenal Football Club and eclipsing Nicolas Pépé’s previous record of £72 million back in 2019 (Joined from LOSC Lille).
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The Declan Rice Transfer: How Did It Start?
Arsenal initially offered an official bid that is believed worth £80 million, and was rejected by West Ham United immediately, as the latter demanded more for its priced midfield star. The London football powerhouse then proceeded to submit a second proposal that was valued at £90 million, which would have already been a record offer by the 13-time English league winner. Things looked promising for both parties, until Arteta’s former club Manchester City bizarrely decided to stir things up by offering a deal with an approximate value.
Manchester City Raised the Bar and Left the Race
It is evident that Manchester City was not interested in the Declan Rice transfer at all, because as soon as Arsenal put forth its following proposal of £100 million plus £5 million add-ons, the defending Premier League champion instantly left the signing race by not matching Gunners’ offer. In other words, the London club is forced to pay more in the Declan Rice transfer saga to bring the player to the Emirates, a smart move by Pep Guardiola’s side that will restrict Arsenal’s budget in this summer transfer window.
How Does Arsenal’s Midfield Look Like After the Declan Rice Transfer?
In addition to landing Declan Rice from West Ham United for £105 million, Arsenal had added German versatile attacker Kai Havertz earlier this summer, after the former Chelsea man signed for Arsenal on a five-year deal until 2028 for £65 million. Prior to moving to England for three years, the 24-year-old also spent four seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 46 goals in 150 appearances for the Bundesliga side as a result.
After the Declan Rice transfer is completed, Mikel Arteta will be given an instant upgrade on his midfield options and boost his side’s chances of winning the league or cup competitions next season, having led most part of last season’s Premier League before losing out to the eventual winner Manchester City.
The 41-year-old Spanish head coach and former Arsenal player can now deploy both Rice and Havertz into a three-man midfield line-up, alongside his skipper from Norway Martin Ødegaard. Such a trio has everything a manager needs in the middle of the park as Ødegaard and Havertz can take turns to penetrate into the opponent’s defense while Rice holding the fort and acting as the first line of defence for the Gunners.
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