West Ham announced that Declan Rice is leaving the club after ten years of service, but did not mention he was moving to Arsenal once in the statement. Here’s why.
On Saturday West Ham confirmed Rice was leaving in a club-record £105million deal, making the midfielder the most expensive British player in history.
Rice will be Arsenal’s third summer signing, after Kai Havertz was bought from Chelsea for £65million and Jurrien Timber was signed from Ajax in a deal that could reach £38.6million with add-ons.
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Rice’s last act as a West Ham player was to become only the third captain in their history, behind Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift a major trophy, after the club claimed the Europa Conference League last month.
However, the England international wants to play Champions League football, which is something Arsenal can offer.
In an emotional letter to the fans, Rice said it has been a "tough" decision to leave West Ham but "it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game".
West Ham statement
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West Ham also confirmed the 24-year-old was leaving the London Stadium in a British record deal, yet notably, there was not a single mention of Arsenal.
That’s despite it being well-documented that the two clubs have been involved in prolonged negotiations for weeks.
In a lengthy statement, Hammers' joint-chairman David Sullivan said: “I am sorry to see Declan leave us, but I believe that everyone at West Ham United should be very proud of the part we have played in his journey from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming the most valuable young player in English football."
Indeed, it has been widely reported that talks became dicey after Rice agreed personal terms, with Arsenal trying to stagger their payments and alter how the final deal looked.
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As per the Mirror, this cost West Ham in the transfer market, much to Sullivan's displeasure. This could be a reason Arsenal were not mentioned in the Hammers' statement.
Indeed, West Ham’s reported frustration towards the north London rivals over the deal was already made evident via manager David Moyes this week.
Speaking ahead of his side's pre-season tour in Australia, Moyes bemoaned the lack of clarity over the situation and suggested it was stalling his transfer plans
"Until it’s done we can’t plan anything," he said. "Everybody knows the situation, we’re expecting something to happen. I think you (Sky Sports) said it was done two weeks ago and it’s still not done."
Featured Image Credit: Declan Rice via Instagram/GettyTopics: Football, Declan Rice, Arsenal, West Ham United, Transfers, Premier League