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beIN Sports presenter Richard Keyes has described Arsenal’s £105m acquisition of Declan Rice from West Ham United as the signing of the summer.
Arsenal announced the arrival of Rice, 24, from London rivals West Ham on Saturday (July 15). The midfielder has put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium and becomes the club’s third signing this summer after Kai Havertz and Jören Timber.
Arsenal have agreed to pay West Ham £100m over the next 24 months. The Hammers could pocket another £5m depending on the qualification of Mikel Arteta’s side to the UEFA Champions League and the number of appearances Rice makes for them in the coming years.
Should all the add-ons run, Rice would cost the north London giants £105m, dwarfing the £72m they paid for Nicholas Pepe in 2019. The England international thus became the most expensive signing in their history.
Despite the financial outlay, Keys believes Rice is a solid addition to Arsenal’s ranks, and has hailed the former West Ham captain as an elite footballer.
“It’s a lot of money – but I don’t think any team will make a better deal than Declan Rice this summer,” Keys wrote on Twitter. “It’s a Rolls-Royce. It’s a true statement of intentions for Arsenal. I have a feeling they might celebrate next season.”
Rice’s signing took Arsenal’s summer spending to over £200m. They acquired Havertz from Chelsea for £62m plus £3m in add-ons. Meanwhile, Wood reportedly cost the Premier League giants £34m plus £4m in add-ons.
How did new Arsenal player Declan Rice perform with West Ham?
Declan Rice started his youth career at Chelsea but jumped ship to West Ham in 2014. He rose through the Irons youth ranks before making his debut in May 2017.
The defensive midfielder made his debut for the club in a 2-1 away win over Burnley in the Premier League.
Declan Rice went on to hit 245 cross-border games with the Hammers, establishing himself as one of the best No. 6s in the world.
He also scored 15 goals and 13 assists for the London team. After becoming West Ham captain in May 2022, he led them to UEFA Europa Conference League glory last season.
The former West Ham man made his international debut for Ireland in 2018, but soon switched to England. He has since established himself as a regular with the Three Lions, earning 43 caps. The London-born midfielder has started in all five of their matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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