MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 10:27:44| >> :60:153:153:

Arsenal 'hoping to finalise Declan Rice deal by Monday'

Arsenal 'hoping to finalise Declan Rice deal by Monday'
© Reuters
Arsenal reportedly hope to finalise the club-record £105m signing of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice by Monday.

Arsenal are reportedly hoping to finalise a deal to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice by Monday.

Following a pair of failed bids, the Gunners are believed to have struck an agreement with the Hammers over a £105m fee, which would see Rice become their most expensive signing of all time.

Arsenal are reportedly prepared to pay £100m plus £5m in performance-related add-ons, which would also make Rice the most expensive British player in history, surpassing the £100m that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.

However, Arsenal and West Ham are still locked in negotiations over a payment structure, as the Hammers are apparently demanding for the full £100m to be paid within the next 18 months.

In contrast, Arsenal want to stagger the payments over a number of years, leading to a standstill in talks, but there is confidence that a deal will eventually be completed.

West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their first goal on May 21, 2023© Reuters

According to The Sun, Arsenal and West Ham are optimistic of wrapping up those negotiations at the start of next week, and there has never been any real risk of a transfer collapsing.

Rice is already believed to have agreed personal terms with the North London giants, who will pencil in a medical for the midfielder as soon as the two clubs finalise payment terms.

Mikel Arteta has been pushing to bring the England international to the Emirates Stadium, and the Spaniard supposedly wants to integrate Rice into the first team before their pre-season tour of the United States later this month.

The Gunners briefly faced competition from Manchester City for the signing of Rice, who was thought to have been the subject of a £90m offer from the Premier League champions.

However, City dropped their interest after their opening bid was rejected, giving Arsenal a clear run at Arteta's top target, who has also been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Declan Rice in action for England on June 16, 2023© Reuters

Rice - whose name has been removed from the kits section of the West Ham United website - is poised to depart the Hammers after registering 15 goals and 13 assists from 245 games in a 10-year spell, having joined their academy from Chelsea in 2013.

The 24-year-old led David Moyes's side to the Europa Conference League title last season, banking five goals and four assists from 50 games in all tournaments as West Ham also secured Premier League survival.

Rice is set to become Arsenal's second signing of the summer window after fellow midfielder Kai Havertz, whose £65m signing from Chelsea was confirmed on Wednesday evening.

The Gunners are also understood to be on the cusp of agreeing a deal for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, while Southampton's Romeo Lavia is also admired by Arsenal chiefs.

The arrival of Rice could trigger the exits of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga, the former of whom is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen in a £13m switch.

ID:517528:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5497:

Click here for more stories about Declan Rice

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their first goal on May 21, 2023
Read Next:
Arsenal 'agree fee with West Ham for Declan Rice'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!