Declan Rice, a midfielder for West Ham United, has been acquired for a sum of £105 million ($133 million), surpassing Manchester City’s first bid of £90 million. This comes after they unexpectedly challenged City for the 2022–23 Premier League championship until late in the season.
Arsenal are in uncharted territory in many ways at this point.
That was Arsenal’s third offer for the England international during this window. All were far more expensive than the club’s previous record outgoing transfer fee of £72 million for Nicolas Pepe in August 2019, and they all reflect the club’s outlook for the next campaign.
To begin with, Rice has always been Arsenal’s top priority.
Second, the board, which has approved what would be a record-breaking payment for a British player, has understood and supported manager Mikel Arteta’s continuous rhetoric in press conferences about the necessity to “nail the recruitment” this summer.
Some people may be perplexed by the lengths Arsenal will go to in order to acquire Rice, but from the club’s point of view, signing the West Ham captain during this transfer window is crucial.
