Arsenal target Declan Rice will demand £300,000 per week to join Arsenal in the summer as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his engine room, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest transfer news involving Declan Rice?
According to FootballTransfers, Arsenal are said to have 'agreed' personal terms with Rice ahead of a potential move to the Emirates in the summer transfer window.
Sky Sports News report that West Ham United would be willing to let Rice depart the London Stadium in the off-season; however, they will demand the best part of £120 million to sanction his departure.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have all previously retained an interest in Rice as the England international mulls over his options in the next few weeks.
As per The Sun, Arsenal are willing to make Rice one of their highest earners and prepare a five-year deal worth around £300,000 per week, which would be a significant increase on the £60k-a-week deal he is currently tied to at West Ham United.
Also, the Telegraph claim that Arsenal are planning to offer a structured deal worth around £92 million for Rice.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Rice would be right to demand a significant wage before joining Arsenal due to the importance he would hold in their side.
Jones told FFC: "If you look at this in the cold light of day, the type of player he is and what his profile is. He's 24; he's played over 200 games in the Premier League, he's an England international. Compare that to Bukayo Saka, who's 21 and just got a deal worth £300,000 per week. If you're Declan Rice's representatives, then you're using that straight away as a yardstick to say, okay, well, I fully understand that Saka is a game changer, but we've got the player here that is going to be the driving force in your engine room and we don't see that there's much difference here in terms of value."
Would Declan Rice be a good signing for Arsenal?
Rice, who has been hailed as "industrious", has established himself as one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and deserves a chance to shine at an elite-level side like Arsenal.
In 2022/23, the 24-year-old has been in fine form, registering five goals and four assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored also show that Rice has been a trustworthy presence in possession this term, maintaining an average pass accuracy of 88% in the English top flight.
Driving forward from midfield is one of Rice's main strengths and he has successfully managed to carry out 111 shot-creating actions in total this season, as per FBRef.
Interest in Rice will be vast this summer and it is important that Arsenal endeavour to meet his demands to avoid missing out on his services.
