When will Declan Rice sign for Arsenal? Expected announcement date of £105m West Ham midfielder

It only seems like a matter of time before Declan Rice will be officially announced as an Arsenal player with the Gunners set to complete a £105 million transfer for the West Ham and England midfielder.

That being said, some supporters may have expected to see the traditional photo of the player holding the scar above his head at the Emirates stadium plastered across social media by now, so what’s taking so long? Well, recent reports suggest that fans may not have to wait too much longer for the news.

As reported by Sky Sports News, Arsenal are hopeful of completing the signing of Rice before the squad flies to the USA for their pre-season tour on Sunday. It is claimed that West Ham are ready to sign the papers and make the deal official and that all the remains is for Arsenal’s lawyers to approve the final wording of the contract.

Once that has been done, Declan Rice will officially be an Arsenal player. The move will also set a new record for the club as their most expensive signing, surpassing the £72 million that was spent on Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.It will also be the second most expensive transfer in British football history, just behind Chelsea’s purchase of Enzo Fernandez in January.

In other news, Jurrien Timber’s arrival is also expected to be confirmed in the coming days. That deal may actually happen even sooner with the same report from Sky Sports News stating that Arsenal are hopeful of including the Dutch defender in their matchday squad for Thursday’s friendly with FC Nurnberg.

After that match the players will set off for the USA and are due to face the MLS All Stars next Thursday, July 20. Their first competitive match of the new season comes when they face Manchester City in the Community Shield match on August 6.