Arsenal are thought to be closing in on a deal for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice signing for Arsenal?

The Gunners have made Rice their top transfer target this summer and have already reached a verbal agreement with the player ahead of a move to the Emirates.

Rice, who recently helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League, is expected to leave the Hammers over the coming months, something which was recently confirmed by co-owner David Sullivan.

Arsenal aren’t the only side keen on the England international, though, with three or four clubs interested, however, it looks as if the Gunners are in a good position to seal a deal.

Now, according to The Guardian, ‘Arsenal are close to agreeing a fee with West Ham for Rice and are expected to pay more than £100m for the midfielder if certain add-ons are achieved.’ A bid is yet to be made, but talks are progressing smoothly and there is confidence an agreement will be reached.

The report adds that ‘Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer’ of Rice and feels he will be key to helping Arsenal to mount another challenge for the Premier League title.

Rice is also a fan of Arteta’s football in north London, with Arsenal also eyeing Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan as further midfield additions alongside a move for the West Ham star.

What is Declan Rice’s salary?

Rice has made a total of 245 appearances for West Ham after coming through their academy, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists. The 24-year-old's first Hammers strike was actually a winner against Arsenal back in 2019, and he now looks on course to make the move to the Gunners.

When it comes to salary, Rice has gone from being on £100-a-week back in 2015 to £62,000-a-week as of today and actually rejected a £200,000-a-week deal to stay with West Ham. Therefore, you’d expect that Arsenal would be willing to make the midfielder one of their top earners alongside the likes of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard.

All the signs ahead of a transfer are certainly exciting, and by the looks of it, a record transfer is close to materialising. Arsenal’s current record transfer was set back in 2019 on a €80m deal for Nicolas Pepe, and should Arsenal get the green light, Rice, hailed as a "special talent" by David Moyes, will surpass that figure ahead of the 2023/24 season.