Declan Rice could play a key role in two marquee transfers for Arsenal before he has even been officially confirmed as the Gunners’ latest signing. The 24-year-old has already completed his medical tests and media duties with the official confirmation of his £105million transfer from West Ham the only thing left to be announced.
After submitting their opening offer in mid-June, negotiations with the Hammers dragged on for numerous weeks with Arsenal seeing two bids rejected before reaching a verbal agreement with Rice’s employers on a triple-figure proposal.
However, that was far from the end of the saga as disagreements began over the structure of the fee with Arsenal understandably wanting to spread the cost while West Ham wanted the up front fee paid in full by the start of 2025.
Equal instalments paid over five years was Arsenal’s best-case scenario, but to get the deal over the line they agreed to pay the £100million in the next 24 months. Despite the payment structure agreement being reached exactly seven days ago, the Gunners are yet to unveil their new record signing, however Arsenal fans have found out what Rice is currently doing.
After cutting his holiday in Dubai short to undergo an Arsenal medical, the England international has already begun his own pre-season training in Portugal. On Tuesday, Rice posted to Instagram to show his exact preparations ahead of the 2023/24 campaign which included running out on a field and work in the gym. His caption for the post said: “Back at it. (Battery emoji)”.
While Rice looks to be training by himself, several other huge names yet to return to pre-season with their respective clubs are also taking part alongside him. Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes is present along with Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, but the one image that has likely caught everyone’s eye is Rice alongside AC Milan winger Rafael Leao in the fifth image of a collage posted by @andresilvaphotography.
The Portugal international has signed a new long-term contract at San Siro to rule out any immediate transfer, however an eventual move to Emirates Stadium cannot be overlooked. Following a stellar season in Serie A and new bumper deal, Leao has been valued at €100million (£88m), according to CIES Football Observatories.
Throughout 2023, Arsenal were loosely linked to Leao but there were stronger ties to a different player in Cancelo who was also spotted with Rice who could still sign for the Gunners.
Pep Guardiola does not appear intent on welcoming him back into his treble-winning squad which makes a summer sale very likely.
Cancelo being able to play as an inverted full-back makes him a very attractive option for Mikel Arteta, however the imminent arrival of Jurrien Timber may prevent the move.
Nonetheless, he would still be a superb option for the Spaniard to have at his disposal and a bargain transfer could be on the cards with Man City looking to sell.
Despite his price standing at €60million (£51m), as per CIES Football Observatories, the 29-year-old could be available for as low as €40m (£34.7m), according to a report from earlier this summer by Spanish outlet Sport.
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