According to numerous reports, Arsenal are growing increasingly closer to signing Declan Rice this summer transfer window. The Guardian reports that Arsenal are “expected to pay more than £100m for the midfielder if certain add-ons are achieved.” That amount, which equates to about $113 million, would be a record signing for Arsenal FC. It would also break the sale record for West Ham.
The club leadership has already admitted that they will sanction an exit for Rice this summer, if he wants it, as the team captain led them to UEFA Europa Conference League glory earlier this month.
Following today’s board meeting, Bayern have decided not to submit an offer for Declan Rice as of now, as the player is likely to be heading to Arsenal. The Rice transfer is now off the table for Bayern [@altobelli13, @BILD] pic.twitter.com/WUD9UeOke1
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) June 13, 2023
The 24-year-old English international has just one year left on his contract, so West Ham must move now, or they will lose Declan Rice for free next summer. And as you can see from the tweet above, citing Bild’s sports journalist Tobi Altschaffl, Bayern Munich have dropped out of the running. And with Rice saying back at the World Cup that he wants to play Champions League football this upcoming season, a return to his boyhood club of Chelsea is off the table.
Manchester United are looking at the more cost effective solution of Mason Mount to fill their midfield needs, so they’re out of the picture now too. A move to Arsenal makes perfect sense all around. Declan Rice immediately slot in as a direct replacement and improvement for Granit Xhaka, who will be set to join Bayer Leverkusen.
And Declan Rice joins Jack Grealish in very esteemed £100m English international club. It’s a two member group, with both being midfielders who left a mid-table club that wears claret and blue in order to join a big six club.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.