Declan Rice: Arsenal to sign West Ham midfielder in £105m deal

Declan Rice, an English midfielder for West Ham, will be joining Arsenal in a £105 million move.

The 24-year-old's contract is still being discussed between the two teams.

After two of their earlier bids were turned down because they fell short of the £100 million West Ham demanded, the Gunners made a third attempt.

Manchester City had dropped out after having their £90 million bid for Rice turned down on Tuesday.

Rice, the captain of the Hammers, joined the team's academy in 2014 after leaving Chelsea.

He led them to their first significant trophy in 43 years earlier this month when they won the Europa Conference League.

2024 marked the end of his contract with London Stadium.

The initial £100 million of Arsenal's offer is coupled with a $5 million add-on. The starting price is the same as what Manchester City paid for midfielder Jack Grealish in the United Kingdom.

Jude Bellingham, an England midfielder, joined Real Madrid earlier this month for an initial fee of £88.5 million; but, if add-ons are implemented, the total cost of the agreement may exceed £115 million.

Chelsea's 121 million euro (£107 million) transfer fee to Benfica in January for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez makes him the most expensive signing in the Premier League.

Chairman David Sullivan declared he was "99%" certain Rice will depart West Ham this summer after the team's Europa Conference League triumph against Fiorentina.

Rice, who came up through the academy, has 15 goals in 245 games for West Ham and made his professional debut in the 2016–17 season.

He has played in all five of England's games at the World Cup, earning 43 caps for his country.

In a £65 million deal, Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League last season, acquired Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz on Wednesday.