The Declan Rice transfer from West Ham United to Arsenal FC moved at an absolute tortoise pace. The slowness of it all was due to some intense paperwork delays, caused by some financial wrangling during negotiations. Things got so bad that even the West Ham club statement confirming the deal might imply some bad blood between the two clubs.
WHUFC announced Rice’s move seven hours ago, and yet there was not a single mention of Arsenal anywhere, even on their social media platforms.
We can confirm Declan Rice has left the Club.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 15, 2023
And in the statement from manager David Moyes there was even a line that “no player is ever bigger than the club,” and observers have picked up on that as a potential slight. Reportedly, there was some tension between the two sides caused by disagreement over how to structure the payments.
While this transfer deal was completely agreed nine days ago, the announcement was held-up by delays with the paperwork drawn up by Arsenal’s lawyers.
As far as West Ham were concerned, Rice completed his Arsenal medical and was training alone while on holiday on the Iberian peninsula.
What a tedious headache, for all involved! The East London club grew increasingly frustrated by the delay to complete the deal, as one insider told Sky Sports News:
“I’ve never known anything like this saga.”
That really says something, given how intensely tedious summer transfer sagas are known for.
But it’s finally done now, with both clubs announcing the signing ahead of Arsenal leaving for a preseason tour of the United States tomorrow for a pre-season tour on Sunday.
Declan Rice has penned an open letter to West Ham fans.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 15, 2023
Arsenal will pay £100m plus £5m in add-ons for the 24-year-old midfielder, eclipsing the club record purchase, which had been set in 2019 when they acquired Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m.
It is also a new record for an English born player, surpassing the £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021. However, the £105m in total falls short of the record for spending by a British club.
Chelsea hold the top spot for splashing the cash in this regard, when they shelled out £106.8m to Benfica for Enzo Fernandez in January.
Rice, who made it clear at the World Cup in November that he wanted to play Champions League football next season provided a lengthy open letter.
In the letter he said: “I wanted to speak to you personally and directly, from the heart, to share my thoughts now that my departure from West Ham United has been confirmed.
“The last few days and weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of emotion, but it is important to me that I have the opportunity to say goodbye and reflect on what has been such a special and memorable part of my life.”
Declan Rice had also been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.