English international Declan Rice has been recruited by Arsenal, the London club announced on Saturday, formalizing a record transfer in English football valued by the media at 105 million pounds (just over 122 million euros).
Aged 24, Rice had announced a few hours earlier his departure from West Ham, his training club.
The Gunners, runners-up to Manchester City last season in the Premier League, did not specify the duration of the contract or the amount of the transfer.
But if the 105 million pounds advanced by the media are proven, his transfer will erase two records: that of the biggest transfer between English clubs (Jack Grealish had been transferred in the summer of 2021 from Aston Villa to Manchester City for 100 million books) and that of the biggest transfer made by Arsenal – 72 million pounds (80 million euros) for the Ivorian Nicolas Pépé in 2019, who had failed to impose himself within the London team.
Courted by many clubs, in the aftermath of the Hammers’ victory in the Europa League Conference final, Rice was “captain of a very good side at West Ham and, as we have all seen, he recently won a European trophy. The responsibility and the role he has taken on have been very impressive and we are really delighted to have him join us,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, quoted on the club’s website.
Declan Rice, who made his professional debut aged 18 at the very end of the 2016-17 season, has 43 caps for England.
