Declan Rice negotiations: Arsenal and West Ham reach a breakthrough

According to sources, Arsenal have made a significant breakthrough in their pursuit of Declan Rice by agreeing to pay more than £100m to West Ham for the England midfielder. Rice has been the Gunners' top target for the summer, but they were hesitant to meet West Ham's asking price. However, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich also interested, Arsenal has pushed ahead and informed West Ham of their willingness to pay over £100m.

While an official offer has yet to be made, Arsenal is expected to finalize the deal, which would make Rice the most expensive English player ever, surpassing Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham. West Ham chairman, David Sullivan, recently confirmed the club’s plan to sell Rice this summer after promising their captain a fair deal for his departure.

Amid the interest from other European clubs, Arsenal’s willingness to meet West Ham’s asking price has made it clear to Rice that the Emirates is a preferred destination for him. Negotiations over Rice's transfer came shortly after Arsenal settled on a four-year contract extension with centre-back William Saliba, whose current deal has only 12 months left to run.

For more transfer news and discussions, check out Talking Transfers on the 90min podcast network with Scott Saunders, Toby Cudworth, and Graeme Bailey.