Declan Rice is closing in on a new long-term Arsenal contract, with transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano revealing that negotiations have reached the final stages and an agreement on salary is almost complete.
Romano said Arsenal "are advancing very well to keep at the club for the long term one of the crucial faces, one of the crucial players of this team, Declan Rice", adding that "the agreement between Arsenal and Rice over a new deal is getting to the final stages".
"Now the salary agreement is almost there, working on the length of the contract, on the final details, but Arsenal are very optimistic to get it done and to have Declan Rice as part of their long-term project, considered as a crucial player, loved by everyone at the club, not only the fans but also the directors, the coach, the teammates," Romano added, in comments reported by Sports Mole.
Salary almost agreed
Rice currently earns around £240,000 a week and is reported to be in line for a rise to around £350,000 a week, which would put him level with Bukayo Saka as one of Arsenal's highest earners. The figures are reported rather than confirmed by the club, but the direction is clear: Arsenal are ready to pay Rice as what he now is — the centrepiece of Mikel Arteta's midfield.
Talks have been running since March. Sami Mokbel reported for the BBC earlier this month that a new long-term deal was close, with the process at an advanced stage, and Romano's latest update is a step on from that: salary nearly settled, with only the length of the contract and the final details still being worked through.
There was never any real urgency. Rice joined from West Ham for a club-record £105 million in 2023 and his current contract runs until 2028, with the option of a further year. Those close to him have always said he is very happy at the club — this is a reward and a statement, not a rescue job.
The core Arteta is locking down
Rice would follow a clear pattern. In the past year Arsenal have tied down Saka and William Saliba on new deals, Arteta himself has signed a new contract, and the club have also been advancing talks with Jurrien Timber over an extension. The title-winning core is being kept together deliberately, piece by piece.
On the pitch, Rice keeps showing why he sits at the top of that list. He has started every Premier League game so far this season, and on Sunday he made a vital late block to protect Arsenal's lead in the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Arsenal will need exactly that version of Rice again on Wednesday night, when they travel to Bayern in the Champions League.
So what does it mean?
A signed Rice deal removes the one contract question that could have grown into a distraction. With his current deal running to 2028, Rice could have drifted towards the final two years — the point at which Europe's richest clubs start circling and the noise starts building. Arsenal are closing that door early, on their own terms.
It also sets the wage benchmark for everything that follows. At a reported £350,000 a week, Rice joins Saka at the top of the pay structure — a two-man ceiling that future negotiations, from Saliba's next deal to any marquee signing, will be measured against.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what a well-run club looks like. Arsenal are not waiting for Rice's deal to become a problem, not haggling in public, and not letting their most important midfielder drift towards the exit conversation that has haunted them with star players in the past. Paying Rice like the player he already is — rather than the player he might become somewhere else — is the cheapest £350,000 a week Arsenal will ever spend.
Is Rice now Arsenal's most important player — ahead of Saka and Saliba? Let us know what you think in the comments.
