Arsenal has signed Declan Rice, an England player, from West Ham United on a long-term deal, the north London club said on Saturday.
No information was given about how much the move cost, but British media said that the fee for the player was 105 million pounds ($137.45 million), which would make it the most expensive transfer between two British teams.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in a statement, “He is a very talented player who has been playing well in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons.”
“There is no doubt that Declan brings quality to the club, and he is a very talented person who has the potential to do very well here.”
The 24-year-old’s transfer fee is more than the 100 million pounds England player Jack Grealish cost Manchester City to get from Aston Villa in 2021.
Rice also became Arsenal’s most expensive signing, surpassing the 72 million pounds they paid Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. However, the fee is less than what Chelsea paid Benfica for midfielder Enzo Fernandez this year, which was 107 million pounds.
Rice left West Ham after leading them to win the Europa League and finish 14th in the Premier League.
He was named the best player in the Europa Conference League for his part in West Ham’s win, which gave them their first major European prize in more than 50 years and their first major title since the FA Cup in 1980.
After Granit Xhaka left, Granit Xhaka’s departure leaves Mikel Arteta’s team weaker. With the addition of Rice, Arteta’s team will be stronger, and Arsenal will be able to fight for the Premier League title and play in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016–17 season.