Declan Rice close to agreeing new long-term deal with Arsenal

WHAT HAPPENED
Declan Rice is close to agreeing a new long-term contract with Arsenal, sources have told BBC Sport. The club and player are reported to be at an advanced stage of talks over an extension.

KEY CONTEXT
Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham in July 2023 for £105m. His current deal runs until the end of next season. The 27-year-old has made more than 150 starts for Arsenal and is also described in the source as a key player for England; Thomas Tuchel was quoted this week calling him "one of the best midfielders in Europe." BBC Sport reported in March that contract talks were underway.

TERMS REPORTED
The player would receive a significant pay increase to his reported £240,000-per-week salary, a figure the source says would put him on a par with the club's top earner Bukayo Saka, who is believed to earn about £350,000 a week.

ADDITIONAL NOTE
The report comes shortly after Arsenal announced manager Mikel Arteta had signed a new four-year deal with the Premier League champions.