Several clubs were linked with his transfer, however, it was Arsenal who succeeded by signing him from West Ham United.
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It has been an exciting couple of days for Arsenal supporters, as the club announced two quality additions to the first team squad. First, Jurrien Timber’s move from Ajax was completed and it was followed by the big one – the arrival of sought-after midfielder Declan Rice. The English international’s future has been one of the biggest talking points over the recent months. Several clubs were linked with his transfer, however, it was Arsenal who succeeded by signing him from West Ham United.
Playing in a holding midfield role, Declan Rice is one of the best in his position. He has been incredible for West Ham and the England national team over the years, which has made him a transfer target for several clubs. In the end, Arsenal won the race for his signature. After signing a long term-contract with the Gunners, Rice stated that the recent past has been a bit overwhelming with plenty of speculation surrounding his future.
“First of all I just want to say a massive thank you to all the Arsenal fans for the support so far. It’s been overwhelming – there’s been a lot going on, a lot of speculation for months. But obviously as a player, you want to get things dealt with as quickly as possible, so you’re settled,” he was quoted as saying by Arsenal.com.
Rice then went on to explain the reason behind switching to Arsenal from West Ham United. “I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been going on. Not last season but the season before, they finished fifth but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing. Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with the exception of Man City,” he elaborated.
“With Mikel and how he works, the squad, how young everyone is, the energy around the club and also the challenge of getting Arsenal back to where they belong, that means a lot to me. I know the fans really want that. For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spend my best years at this great club.”
The English international also cannot wait to work with Mikel Arteta, as he spoke in glowing terms about his new manager. “I’m so excited – he speaks for himself. You see how he works – you got a real insight into how he works on the Amazon documentary, how he works with his players and not only as a coach, but psychologically how good he is with players, how he improves players. He’s a massive factor in the reason why I’ve come here. I know he’s going to get the best out of me. I know I’ve got more levels to go up in my game, and I feel like he’s the manager to take me to those next levels. I’m really excited to be working with him,” he explained.
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