OFFICIAL: Rice departs West Ham ahead move to Arsenal

West Ham have confirmed that Declan Rice has departed the club ahead of his transfer to Arsenal.

The Hammers announced Rice’s departure in a statement released on their website on Saturday.

Rice is set to join Arsenal for a British record transfer fee of £105million.

The move to North London will bring an end to a 10-year stay with the Hammers.

The club wrote:”West Ham United can confirm that agreement has been reached for Declan Rice to leave the Club for a British record transfer fee.

“The 24-year-old England midfielder leaves the Hammers having made a total of 245 senior appearances for the Club – the last of which finished in glory last month as he lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy in Prague to end our 43-year wait for a major honour.

“Having progressed from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath, where he began his Claret and Blue journey as a 14-year-old in 2013 before making his first-team debut against Burnley in May 2017, the Kingston-born midfielder has established himself as one of the greatest young talents in world football.​

“Winner of the Hammer of the Year award three times, in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and runner-up in 2018 and 2019, Declan made his full England debut in March 2019 and has since gone on to win 43 caps. He was named West Ham United Club Captain in the summer of 2022 following the retirement of Mark Noble and enjoyed a triumphant final season as David Moyes’s team secured only the second major European trophy in the Club’s history.”