West Ham United have confirmed the departure of midfielder Declan Rice in a record-breaking transfer deal within British football, the club announced on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, following his recent success in guiding West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League and a respectable 14th-place finish in the Premier League.
David Sullivan, joint chair of West Ham, praised Rice’s journey from the club’s Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming one of the most valuable young players in English football. Rice made his senior debut for West Ham in 2017 and went on to make over 240 appearances for the club. After Mark Noble’s retirement, Rice was named captain last year.
While Rice had one year remaining on his West Ham contract, with the option of a one-year extension, it became clear that he wished to seek a new challenge. West Ham made multiple improved contract offers to retain him but ultimately respected his decision to move on.
Having started his youth career at Chelsea’s academy before joining West Ham at the age of 14, Rice departs the club after 10 years. In a heartfelt message to West Ham fans, he expressed gratitude for the club’s role in shaping him both as a footballer and as a person.
Rice acknowledged the difficulty of leaving a cherished environment but emphasized his ambition to compete at the highest level of the game.
Rice’s move to Arsenal aligns with the Gunners’ aspirations to close the gap at the top of the league, following their second-place finish behind Manchester City, who secured a treble in the previous season. Arsenal’s qualification for the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17 further adds to the appeal of the potential transfer.
