Declan Rice, an English player who plays for West Ham United, is leaving the club for a British record transfer fee, the Premier League club said on Saturday.
The 24-year-old player is leaving the club and has been linked to Arsenal. He recently led West Ham to win the Europa League and finish 14th in the English Premier League.
“Everyone at West Ham United should be very proud of the part we played in his journey from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming the most valuable young player in English football,” West Ham joint chair David Sullivan said in a statement.
Rice’s first game for the Hammers was in 2017, and he went on to play more than 240 times for the team. After Mark Noble retired last year, he was made captain.
Rice’s deal with West Ham was up in a year, but he could have stayed for another year if he wanted to.
“I want our fans to know that we didn’t want to sell Declan. We wanted to build our team around him, so we made him a series of better long-term deal offers to protect his future,” Sullivan said.
“However, once Declan made it clear that he wanted to move on and try something new, the Club felt it would not be fair to stand in his way and did what was best for West Ham United.”
Rice started his youth journey at Chelsea’s school and then moved to West Ham when he was 14. After 10 years, he will leave the east London club.
In a long message to West Ham’s fans, Rice said, “I knew the first time I walked into Chadwell Heath that I had found another place I could call home.”
“When I look back, I see how important my time at Chadwell Heath was to my development as a football player and as a person.” I found the right place to boost my confidence, which helped me become more focused, determined, and ambitious.
“I want you to know how hard it was for me to decide to leave a place I loved and appreciated so much. At the end of the day, though, I’ve only ever wanted to play at the very top level.
Rice has been linked with a move to Mikel Arteta’s team as Arsenal try to close the gap at the top of the league. Last season, Arsenal finished second to Manchester City, who won the league, the FA Cup, and the three major individual trophies.
Arsenal will play in the Champions League again for the first time since 2016–17.