After Mikel Arteta, £240k-a-week star now 'close' to agreeing new long-term Arsenal contract

Arsenal are closing successful connected a caller semipermanent declaration for Declan Rice aft the England midfielder emerged arsenic 1 of Mikel Arteta's squad's astir important players.

The 27-year-old has been in talks for respective months implicit an improved deal, and the process is present understood to beryllium astatine an precocious stage.

Rice's caller declaration would reportedly spot a important summation connected his existent £240,000-a-week salary, putting him person to Bukayo Saka's level.

Declan Rice closing successful connected caller Arsenal deal

Sources person told BBC Sport that Rice is adjacent to agreeing a caller semipermanent Arsenal contract, with negotiations present astatine an precocious stage.

The midfielder joined the Gunners from West Ham for £105m successful July 2023 and has since go a cardinal fig successful Arteta's side, making 165 appearances for the club.

His existent declaration runs until the extremity of adjacent season, but the northbound Londoners person been keen to unafraid his semipermanent aboriginal and reward his value to the team.

Rice would person a important wage emergence nether the projected agreement, with his reported £240k-a-week wage acceptable to determination towards the £350k-a-week fig believed to beryllium earned by Saka.

The quality follows Arteta's ain caller four-year declaration astatine the Emirates, with the Gunners present looking to support the halfway of their title-winning squad together.

Where does Declan Rice fertile successful Arsenal's greatest-ever midfielders?

Rice is already making a superior lawsuit to fertile among Arsenal's top midfielders.

Winning the Premier League past play was a immense achievement, peculiarly fixed the club's 22-year wait for different title, and Rice was undeniably instrumental successful yet getting Arsenal implicit the line.

That unsocial puts him successful immoderate precise distinguished company, though comparisons with legends specified arsenic Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas stay difficult.

However, Rice present has the accidental to spell 1 measurement further.

If helium tin assistance Arsenal triumph the Champions League for the archetypal clip successful their history, determination would beryllium a precise beardown statement that helium should beryllium considered the top midfielder ever to correspond the club.

Vieira, Fabregas and different Arsenal greats achieved bonzer things, but nary managed to present European football's biggest prize.

Rice already has a Premier League winners' medal. Add a Champions League triumph to his Arsenal bequest and the statement could go acold little complicated.