According to reports, West Ham are becoming increasingly frustrated with the delays in finalizing Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal. The transfer, which was agreed upon in principle on June 28th for a fee of £105 million, is being held up due to delays in sorting out the paperwork by Arsenal’s lawyers.
The delays have left West Ham waiting to sign the contracts and receive the financial boost from Rice’s sale. They are hoping to have the deal finalized before Arsenal leave for their pre-season tour in the USA on Sunday.
Arsenal’s lawyers are reportedly taking their time to deliberate over the exact wording of the deal, causing the hold-ups. Despite this, the Gunners are still training in Germany and have a friendly match against Nurnberg tomorrow.
Once completed, Rice’s move to Arsenal will break the Gunners’ previous transfer record of £72 million for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. It will also be the second-largest British transfer of all time, behind Enzo Fernandez’ £106.8 million switch from Benfica to Chelsea in January.
Rice and Timber to be announced soon
In addition to Rice, Arsenal are also expecting Jurrien Timber’s £40 million transfer from Ajax to be finalized this week. The 22-year-old defender is considered one of the top defensive prospects in Europe and has represented the Netherlands 15 times.
Meanwhile, West Ham have been looking for a replacement for Rice and have explored the possibility of bringing in James Ward-Prowse from Southampton. While the Saints are demanding £40 million, the Hammers are considering a lower offer of around £20 million.
Despite these ongoing negotiations, West Ham recently unveiled their new home shirt for the 2023-24 season, but there was no sign of Rice in the promotional material.
Overall, the delays in Rice’s transfer to Arsenal have caused frustration for West Ham, who are eager to complete the deal and benefit from the financial boost it will provide. Arsenal’s lawyers are currently finalizing the paperwork, with the aim of completing the deal before their upcoming pre-season tour.
Arsenal have nothing to worry about
Despite the delay in the announcement for Rice, Arsenal fans have been assured that the deal is more or less complicated and is only a matter of mere formalities left before an official statement can be released.
Speaking about the deal yesterday, reputable journalist David Ornstein said: “My understanding is pretty much everything is done and dusted.
“For Arsenal fans, there’s nothing to be concerned about. They’re committing a record fee, £100 million, plus £5 million in add-ons. The announcement can take time on a deal of this magnitude.
“There’s a lot to work through on various sides of the deal. But to my knowledge, it is on track and they’ll get the final stages done, then everyone will get this announcement they’ve been waiting for in due course!”
With all of the above in mind, Rice is now expected to be announced as an Arsenal player on Friday.
