Arsenal have announced the signing of English midfielder Declan Rice on a long-term deal from West Ham for a British record fee of around £105 million plus add-ons.
The 24-year-old moves to the Emirate Stadium after spending about nine years with the Hammers following his move from Chelsea’s youth team in 2014. He becomes the most expensive English player and the second-most expensive Premier League singer after Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.
A new chapter begins. pic.twitter.com/ha5Btd8I2h
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 15, 2023
In his first interview with the Gunners, Rice expressed his excitement at completing the deal. He said: “First of all I just want to say a massive thank you to all the Arsenal fans for the support so far. It’s been overwhelming – there’s been a lot going on, a lot of speculation for months. But obviously as a player, you want to get things dealt with as quickly as possible, so you’re settled.
“Today I’ve had my first day and I’m feeling really at home.
“It’s been a bit overwhelming because of my relationship with West Ham. [With] the love and support I have for them, it’s been really hard to walk away. In football, amazing opportunities arise. Big clubs, like Arsenal, have come for me and it’s really hard to turn down.
“You only ever get one career and I really believe in what Mikel is building here and the squad he’s building. I’m really looking forward to the future with Arsenal,” he concluded.
Rice, who became West Ham’s captain after the retirement of Mark Noble, enjoyed a fine career with the East London club, where he made 245 appearances for the senior team, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists.
He also won his first career title in the 2022–23 campaign when he led them to triumph in the Europa Conference League, the third tier of European club football, and was named the tournament’s Player of the Season.
The defensive midfielder, who was initially eligible to play for both the Republic of Ireland and England but chose the latter, has made 43 appearances for the Three Lions, including representing them at both Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, praised his new signing, highlighting the qualities he would add to the team. The Spaniard said: “We’re really happy that Declan is joining us. 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.”
“Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here.
“Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us.”
The Three Lions midfielder, Rice, will wear the No. 41 shirt for Arteta’s side, and he becomes their third signing of the summer following the capture of Kai Havertz and most recently Jurrien Timber.
