Arsenal's third bid of £105m will make Declan Rice the most expensive British transfer ever; Manchester City ended interest after having £90m bid rejected by West Ham; Rice led Irons to Europa Conference League title last season
Friday 30 June 2023 06:47, UK
We take a look at how Arsenal's £105m bid for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice compares to the most expensive transfers in Premier League history.
Jude Bellingham became the most expensive English player of all time when he made the £115m move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid earlier this month and, should Rice's move to the Emirates materialise, he will become the second most expensive ever, costing £5m more than the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in August 2021.
The £105m bid would also represent the second biggest single outlay for an English club, following Enzo Fernandez's £106.8m transfer from Benfica to Chelsea in January.
It would also be only the third time a English club has paid over £100m for a player.
Crucially, for Arsenal fans, the move for Rice is a clear sign of intent, as the bid for Rice shatters the club's previous transfer record - £72m paid to Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019 - by £33m. Before Pepe, the north London club's most expensive signing was Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for £52.7m.
Speaking in March, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said Rice is only worth around £50m to £60m - around half of the current figure being discussed by West Ham and Arsenal.
"I love Declan Rice," Neville said. "Obviously, Declan knows the position, but when I look at world-class holding midfielders, and players of that type, because he doesn't score or assist enough goals, you're putting him into that category of more of a destroyer.
"[Then], you've then got to be someone who I think is highly competent on the ball and linking play, and having that knowledge of the subtleties of getting on the ball from the back four.
"I personally feel, at this moment in time, that Declan needs to go and work under a different set-up, he needs to drive forward in his career, he needs to go and play at a different club.
"I think there's a lot of growth, and a lot for Declan to do to get up to the levels of Casemiro, Rodri and players at the top of the game in those positions.
"But, for me, I wouldn't be spending £110m or £120m... I would spend £50m-£60m on Declan Rice, but I wouldn't spend the figures being reported."
Who will be on the move this summer ahead of the transfer window closing at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
