New Declan Rice contract at Arsenal ‘set to be agreed’ with salary amount revealed | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is set to agree terms on a new lucrative five-year contract to remain at the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

Rice has been one of the signings in recent years that has taken Arsenal to the next level under Mikel Arteta with the Gunners parting with £105m to bring him from West Ham to north London.

The England international was crucial to Arsenal‘s Premier League title win last season with Arteta’s side ending a run of 22 years without a league championship.

After spending over £200m on new arrivals over the summer, Arsenal are now concentrating on tying down some of their top players.

Rice is taking particular priority with Football Transfers revealing that Arsenal ‘will use the September international break to finalise details over a new long-term contract’ for the midfielder.

The Arsenal star’s current deal expires in the summer of 2028, although the Gunners do have an option to extend it a further year if they want.

However, ‘fresh terms are set to be agreed shortly’ with Football Transfers adding: ‘Rice will be rewarded with a substantial salary increase when he puts pen to paper on his new deal, with sources informing us that he will earn around £280,000 per week on an extremely lucrative five-year contract.’

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour insists that staff at the Emirates Stadium always want to talk about Rice and the “breath of fresh air” he’s been since joining from West Ham in 2023.

Parlour recently told Seven: “I talk to a lot of the staff at Arsenal, who are still there from when I was a player, and the one person they always talk to me about is Declan Rice.

“They say he was a breath of fresh air when he came into the club; his standards are right up there in training, and off the field he’s great with everyone.

“And that’s what you need; you need characters like that in the squad itself and people look up to him. He had an outstanding season last year and was one of the standout players.

“I’m hoping he’s had a good rest in the summer because he didn’t look to be at his best in the World Cup for England. He looks like he’s ready to go again though, which can only be a good thing for Arsenal.”

Arsenal star Rice ‘isn’t the complete midfield player’ – Souness

Graeme Souness recently rejected the idea that Rice is a “complete midfield player” and insists he looks more like a centre-half at times.

Souness told Piers Morgan on Football Uncensored: “How many times do you see him as the last man with the ball.

“In the build-up, he’s last man. He’s sitting between two centre-halves or between the centre-half and the full-back. He’s last man. A lot of the time, he doesn’t play in midfield.

“In my second or third home game (of my career), I went into the back four like all midfield players do today. It’s old man’s football. It’s cheating. An old man’s way of playing midfield. You get the ball under no pressure and you play it out to the full-back.

“He’s the best defensive midfielder in the country right now, he smells danger. But then again, he’s back there all the time.

“He’s not a midfield player then is he? I think he may be a centre-half. The ball travels faster than you do. I see him run with the ball 30 yards and pass it square.

“Modern players are a bit precious. Criticism doesn’t fall easily on these (players’) shoulders. He isn’t the complete midfield player.”