Arsenal on the Verge of Finalizing £105m Deal for Declan Rice's Transfer from West Ham

Arsenal is in the final stages of securing the terms for a £105m agreement to acquire West Ham's midfielder, Declan Rice. The guaranteed portion of the fee is expected to be paid in three instalments over a span of 24 months.

West Ham has agreed to sell Rice for £100m plus an additional £5m in add-ons, and the transfer is nearing completion. Arsenal initially intended to spread the cost of the guaranteed payment over five years, but they have had to reduce the number of instalments in order to bring their top summer target, preferred by Mikel Arteta, to the Emirates Stadium. Ongoing discussions are focusing on the details of the add-ons, while Rice is anticipated to undergo a medical examination and join Arsenal within the coming week. The tight payment schedule is designed to support West Ham's financial position, as they were placed on Uefa's Financial Fair Play watchlist in September of the previous year.

Earlier, Manchester City expressed interest in Rice after losing Ilkay Gündogan to Barcelona and had a £90m bid for the West Ham captain rejected just last week. City ultimately withdrew from the bidding process after Arsenal, who had already faced two rejected offers, surpassed the £100m mark for the 24-year-old.

The champions were unwilling to engage in a bidding war with Arsenal and believed that West Ham's demands, particularly concerning the payment structure, were excessively high.

As Arsenal prepares for another title challenge, they have been making substantial investments. They have already secured the signing of Germany attacker Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m. Additionally, a deal to acquire Ajax defender Jurrien Timber for £40m is close to completion. To make room for Rice in midfield, Arsenal plans to offload Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Xhaka is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen, while Thomas Partey has attracted interest from Juventus and clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Arsenal could further raise funds by selling USA striker Folarin Balogun and Portuguese left-back Nuno Tavares.

Although Rice was open to joining Manchester City, Arsenal was always his preferred choice. The English international admires Arteta's football philosophy and is believed to have already agreed to the terms of a long-term contract. Arteta has made significant efforts to court Rice and believes that his physicality and leadership will enhance Arsenal's chances of ending Manchester City's dominance in the Premier League.

In addition to Rice, Arsenal is interested in securing another midfielder, with Romeo Lavia of Southampton valued at £45m. Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United have also shown interest in the 19-year-old talent.

West Ham, on the other hand, is actively searching for Rice's replacement and has shown interest in João Palhinha from Fulham, Denis Zakaria from Juventus, Amadou Onana from Everton, and James Ward-Prowse from Southampton. They may also consider reviving their pursuit of Edson Álvarez if the Ajax midfielder's move to Borussia Dortmund falls through.

Source: The Guardian