Declan Rice new Arsenal deal edges closer after title-winning season

Arsenal are doing what smart champions do, they are tying down their elite talent early. According to BBC Sport, Declan Rice is close to agreeing a new long-term Arsenal contract, a move that feels logical given his status at the club and in the dressing room.

Rice has become central to everything Arsenal do. Since joining from West Ham for £105m in July 2023, he has developed into the sort of midfielder every serious side wants and very few actually have. The report states he has become a “crucial player for the Gunners”, and that is hard to dispute. He has made 165 appearances, helped Arsenal end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title last term, and now looks set to be rewarded accordingly.

His current contract runs until the end of next season, but negotiations have been moving for a while. BBC Sport had already revealed in March that discussions were underway, and now the process is said to be at an “advanced stage”. That matters. Clubs who leave these things late usually pay for it, one way or another.

Rice is also in line for a major pay rise. His reported £240,000-per-week salary is set to increase significantly, bringing him level with Bukayo Saka, who is believed to earn about £350,000 a week. Again, no surprise. If you are one of the most important players in a title-winning side, you get paid like it.

There is also the wider context. Thomas Tuchel has previously described Rice as one of the “best midfielders in Europe”. Internationally, he has earned 80 England caps since switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland in 2019. Arsenal are not simply securing a good player, they are protecting one of the game’s proven operators in a premium position.

The timing is neat too. The update arrives just after Mikel Arteta signed a new four-year contract with the Premier League champions. Stability matters. Arsenal clearly intend to keep their core intact, and Rice sits right in the middle of it.

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As an Arsenal supporter, this is exactly the sort of news you want before a ball is kicked at the weekend. No drama, no noise, no silly speculation about exits. Just the club recognising what Declan Rice means and acting like a serious institution.

He cost £105m and there were plenty outside the club who made a lot of noise about that fee at the time. Fine. Look at him now. He has justified every pound. You do not win big trophies with passengers in midfield, you win them with players who dominate games, organise those around them and deliver under pressure. Rice does all three.

What is reassuring here is the phrase “advanced stage”. Arsenal have sometimes looked reactive in the market and around squad planning in the past. This feels proactive. It says the club know their priorities. If Bukayo Saka is one face of the team, Rice is the engine room and emotional barometer.

The salary jump makes sense too. Put simply, if he is one of your best players, pay him like one of your best players. That is how top clubs behave. Matching the level of the top earners sends the right message to the squad and to the player.

From a fan perspective, there is relief because this looks like continuity. Arteta is signed, Rice is close, and the spine of the side remains intact. Arsenal supporters have waited long enough to see a champion team built properly. Keeping Declan Rice at the centre of it is common sense.

Source: BBC Sport