Beautiful photos and first words from Rice to his teammates: “Win some trophies together”
West Ham United confirmed on the club’s website this morning that an agreement had been reached to sign Declan Rice for a “British record sum”.
It was not disclosed which club signed the agreement. But everyone has been walking away from Arsenal for weeks. It became official shortly after noon. Cedar signed for 5 + 1 years.
The 24-year-old defensive midfielder is a product of the Hammers’ youth. He played 245 matches (15 goals and 13 assists) and has been the leader since last summer.
Last month, he won the Conference League with West Ham after beating Fiorentina 1-2 in the final in Prague.
“Arsenal is a big club. You have to push yourself to the limits,” were his first words on the video presentation.
Coach Mikel Arteta is delighted: “We are very pleased with Declan’s arrival. He has great qualities and has played at a high level in the Premier League and for England for several seasons.”
“Declan is an exceptional talent and has the potential to be very successful here. At the age of 24 he already has tremendous experience in the Premier League. He has captained West Ham very well and won a European Cup. The role he plays is impressive.”
Rice, the 43-time international, will be teammate of winger Leandro Trossard and Albert Sambi Lokonga at Arsenal FC. The latter, like Rice, a dominant midfielder, went out on loan to Crystal Palace in the second round last season and sees his playing opportunities shrink even further.
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