Declan Rice set to script these football transfer fee records
Arsenal will be paying West Ham United a staggering £105m fee for the service of midfielder Declan Rice. Arsenal will pay £100m upfront and the rest £5m will be add-ons. It makes Rice the second-most expensive English player after Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham for £88.5m (£115m with add-ons) this summer. Rice also becomes Arsenal's most expensive signing in their history. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Rice is touted as one of the best defensive midfielders and it was a matter of time as West Ham knew they can cash in with a hefty fee. Arsenal made Rice a primary target and they see him as someone who can have a massive influence in the coming years. Rice adds a lot of dimension to Arsenal's midfield.
Most expensive signing for Arsenal
Rice will be shattering Arsenal's previous transfer record of £72m paid to Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. Before Pepe, Arsenal's most expensive signing was Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for £52.7m. Arsenal also signed defender Ben White for £50m from Brighton in 2021. As per SkySports, the Gunners also shelled out £45m each for Thomas Partey (2020) and Gabriel Jesus (2022) respectively.
Rice joins a unique club of English players
Rice will become the third English player to command £100m or more after Bellingham and Jack Grealish. Manchester City paid £100m to Aston Villa for Grealish in the summer of 2021. Grealish was the first English player to enter triple digits in terms of transfer fees. Bellingham signed a six-year deal with Real, who will pay £88.5m, rising to £115m with potential add-ons.
Most expensive English players
Bellingham £115m (Dortmund to Real, 2023), Rice* £105m (West Ham to Arsenal, 2023), Grealish £100m (Villa to Man City, 2021), Harry Maguire (Leicester City to Manchester United, 2019), and Jadon Sancho £73m (Dortmund to Man United, 2021).
The second-costliest fee to be paid by an English club
Rice will become the second-most expensive player in terms of fees paid by an English club. Chelsea's £106.8m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica is the costliest fee paid. Rice (£105m) and Grealish (£100m) follow suit. Other expensive sums paid by English clubs are - £97.5m for Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea) and £93.25m for Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man United, including add-ons).
Where does Rice rank in terms of expensive signings?
Neymar became the most expensive club signing when Paris Saint-Germain paid £198m to Barcelona. Kylian Mbappe follows suit, being sold for £163m to PSG from Monaco. Phillipe Coutinho is third, having been sold by Liverpool to Barcelona for £142m. Bellingham £115m (with add-ons) is fourth. Joao Felix (£112.9m Benfica to Atletico), Antoine Griezmann (£107m Atletico to Barcelona), Enzo £106.8m and Rice £105m are next.
