The 24-year-old expressed in an open letter to Hammers supporters how “tough” a choice it had been to leave the club, prompting the Gunners’ statement.
Rice has agreed to a five-year contract with Arsenal, with an additional year’s option.
I’ve been examining Arsenal’s progression over the past few of seasons, he remarked.
They [only] finished fifth the previous season, not last, but you could see the type of play Mikel was installing.
With the exception of Manchester City, last season was exceptional, easily outperforming all other teams.
After leading West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League last year, Rice has moved on.He is Arsenal’s third significant acquisition this summer as they seek to improve upon their Premier League runner-up status from the previous year.
His hiring comes after the £65 million acquisition of German international Kai Havertz from Chelsea and the potential $38.5 million acquisition of Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
“He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now,” commented Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal.
Declan is an extraordinary player who has the potential to be very successful at this club, and he is bringing undeniable quality to the team.
Declan, who is only 24 years old, has extensive Premier League experience. He has led a highly talented West Ham club, and as we have all seen, he recently won a European championship.
We are quite happy that he is joining us because of the responsibilities and position he has assumed.
After having two prior bids that were less than West Ham’s £100 million asking price rejected, Arsenal finally got Rice when they made their third attempt.
Manchester City, the defending Premier League champions, abandoned their offer of £90 million for the player.
Rice’s starting price is the same as the £100 million City spent to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
The £105.6 million Chelsea paid Benfica for Enzo Fernandez in January 2023 is the record transfer in the Premier League.
Jude Bellingham moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid earlier this summer for an initial £88.5 million price tag in a transaction that could reach £115 million with add-ons.
Rice, who joined West Ham at the age of 14 after being released from Chelsea’s academy, scored 15 goals in 245 games for the club.He signed his first professional contract with the Hammers in December 2015, and on the final day of the 2016–17 Premier League season, against Burnley, he made his first senior game as a substitute. That August, he started his entire debut against Southampton.
Following Mark Noble’s retirement in 2022, Rice took over as the team’s captain. In what turned out to be his final campaign at the London Stadium, Rice was voted the Europa Conference League’s player of the season as West Ham broke their 43-year major trophy drought.
He participated in all five of England’s games during the 2014 World Cup and has received 41 caps for his country.
Amazing opportunities occur in football. It’s quite difficult to say no to big clubs like Arsenal who have been after me, stated Rice.
“You only ever have one career, and I have a lot of faith in Mikel and the team he is assembling here. I’m eager to start a new chapter with Arsenal.
“As a player, I came here really hungry to succeed more and to spend my best years at this fantastic club,” the player said.
“[Arteta] is a huge part of why I’ve come here,” he continued.
I’m confident he’ll draw the greatest performance from me. I am aware that there are still levels for me to advance to in my game, and I believe he will be my manager when I do so.
I’m really looking forward to working with him.
The sums are staggering, and whenever a transfer cost tops nine figures, suspicions are always raised.It claims that English talent is still very sought-after, especially when seen in the context of the league. It’s likely that there is an English player tax; if [an comparable] international player were to transfer in, we might be talking about an £80 million deal.
Declan Rice is a homegrown player who is a seasoned England international and who is familiar with the Premier League and the dynamics of the league. I believe that the English player tax is a result of domestic development.
Of course, Arsenal is now firmly entrenched in the top six, and West Ham is smelling out the extra cash that comes with it.
In terms of Arsenal’s ambition and the advancement they have seen over the past several years, it also draws a line in the sand. They are now a serious player, have considerable cash on hand, and are eager to spend it on the right player right now.
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