Declan Rice to Arsenal: West Ham captain due for medical after 'record fee agreed'
Declan Rice is to undergo a medical at Arsenal following agreement on a fee with West Ham, reports suggest.
The signing of the Hammers captain for £100million plus £5million in add-ons will not only break Arsenal’s own transfer record but also see Rice become the most expensive English player in Premier League history.
Arsenal launched their third and final bid last week with an offer which saw champions Manchester City pull out of the race to sign the 24-year-old.
West Ham were not happy with the payment structure of the Arsenal deal but, after further negotiations, it is understood an agreement is in place and Rice is free to discuss personal terms and have his medical ahead of a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Rice, who lifted the Europa Conference League title in what now looks set to be his final West Ham appearance, has been Arsenal’s top target this summer.
He would become the second summer signing for Mikel Arteta’s side, following the addition of Germany forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea, as the Gunners look to go one better than their second-placed finish last season.
Havertz joined for £65million on a five-year contract after three seasons with Chelsea, during which he made 139 appearances, scoring 32 goals, including the winner in the 2021 Champions League final.
Havertz said on Arsenal’s official website: “It’s super exciting for me to be joining this amazing club and to be part of the Arsenal family. This club has such a big history, and I hope we can achieve lots of things.
“The mentality in the Arsenal squad is very high and you can feel that. That was one of the reasons why it has been so hard to play against Arsenal recently.
“The aim is to win trophies and I’m going to give everything to do that for the supporters and everyone at the club. I’m now looking forward to meeting all the players and the staff when we come back for pre-season.”
Meanwhile, it's reported the Gunners, who head to Germany for a pre-season training camp later this month, have reached agreement with Ajax for central defender Jurrien Timber
It is understood the north London club will pay in the region of £34million for the Netherlands international, with a further £4million-plus payable in add-ons.
The 22-year-old, who made 34 Eredivisie appearances last season and also played Champions League and Europa League football either side of representing his country at the World Cup finals, has been granted permission to finalise personal terms and undergo a medical.
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