Arsenal reach agreement to sign West Ham midfielder in £105m deal, sign Havertz from Chelsea

Arsenal have agreed a deal worth £105m to sign West Ham’s England midfielder Declan Rice.

Talks are continuing between the clubs over how the deal will be structured for the 24-year-old. It follows a third bid from the Gunners, having previously had two bids rejected after falling short of the £100m West Ham want.

Earlier, Manchester City, who had a £90m offer for Rice rejected on Tuesday, withdrew from the running.

Hammers captain Rice has been at the club since joining their academy from Chelsea in 2014. Earlier this month he led them to Europa Conference League victory, their first major trophy in 43 years.

His contract at London Stadium was due to expire in 2024.

Arsenal’s bid is comprised of an initial £100m plus £5m in add-ons. The initial fee equals the British record Manchester City paid for midfielder Jack Grealish.

Earlier this month, England midfielder Jude Bellingham signed for Real Madrid for an initial £88.5m, although that deal could reach £115m if add-ons are activated.

The Premier League’s most expensive signing is the 121m euro (£107m) transfer fee that Chelsea paid Benfica for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have signed Germany forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea on a five-year deal until 2028 for £65m.

The 24-year-old spent three years at Stamford Bridge after joining from Bayer Leverkusen for £71m.

The fee for Havertz, who scored nine goals for the Blues last season, could rise with add-ons.

Havertz has scored 19 goals in 91 Premier League appearances and hit the winner in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

He moves across London as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his Arsenal side following qualification for the Champions League after a six-year absence.