Arsenal: Mikel Arteta delivers major Declan Rice contract update as £350k agreement close

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has publically expressed assurance implicit a caller declaration for cardinal midfielder Declan Rice.

The erstwhile West Ham United skipper is present successful the last 2 years of his existing Emirates deal, remaining connected the aforesaid presumption helium signed pursuing his accomplishment successful 2023.

Rice's existing declaration does see a one-year hold enactment to 2029, but Arsenal person been moving connected a new-and-improved woody arsenic a substance of priority.

In October, it was reported by Fabrizio Romano that Arsenal were closing successful connected a caller deal for Rice, and Arteta has present confirmed that helium expects the England planetary to motion connected the dotted enactment imminently.

Asked successful his pre-Liverpool property league if helium is anticipating an statement with Rice, Arteta replied: "Yes, my feeling is that helium is precise blessed here," arsenic quoted by The Mirror.

Declan Rice's caller Arsenal declaration "a substance of time", Arteta says

"Every speech I person with him, helium wants to proceed present for the agelong word and it volition beryllium a substance of clip erstwhile we resoluteness that."

Rice is believed to gain £260,000 a week nether his existent terms, according to Capology, but his caller woody would bump his wages up to £350k per week, making him Arsenal's highest-paid player.

That honour is presently held by Bukayo Saka, who pockets £300k per week pursuing his caller declaration successful February, but Rice volition soon overtake his compatriot aft continuously justifying his £105m terms tag successful North London.

A basal wage of £350,000 per week excluding bonuses would besides spot Rice interruption the grounds for Arsenal's highest-paid subordinate of each time; Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's £350k-per-week contracts reportedly included performance-related add-ons.

Arsenal's grounds signing has managed 57 extremity contributions from 170 appearances successful a reddish and achromatic kit - 22 of his ain and 35 assists - and has already acceptable up 4 goals successful 8 Premier League matches successful 2026-27.

Rice missed conscionable 2 Premier League games during Arsenal's title-winning 2025-26 season, and helium has sat retired a specified 5 matches for nine and state done wounded since his 2023 accomplishment successful North London.

As good arsenic being consistently disposable to Arteta, Rice has enhanced his estimation arsenic a potent attacking threat, portion doing a occupation arsenic a fig six, fig 8 and right-back.

The 27-year-old has been named Arsenal's Player of the Season for the past 2 campaigns, and helium finished 15th successful the voting for the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or.

Which Arsenal players are successful enactment for caller contracts aft Declan Rice?

Rice is 1 of 9 Arsenal players retired of declaration successful the summertime of 2028, and erstwhile the midfielder's renewal is rubber-stamped, sporting manager Andrea Berta should crook his attraction to a mates of different first-team cornerstones.

Goalkeeper David Raya, right-back Jurrien Timber and skipper Martin Odegaard are each successful enactment for extensions, portion Ben White whitethorn besides play his mode into a renewal aft a bright, injury-free commencement to the caller season.

Mikel Merino and Kai Havertz tin besides depart for thing successful nether 24 months' time, but neither man's semipermanent aboriginal is acceptable successful stone, the erstwhile owed to his second-string presumption and the second owing to his inconsistency successful presumption of some signifier and fitness.