Arsenal Close to New Declan Rice Contract

Arsenal are close to agreeing a new long-term contract with midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports, but the club has not announced a deal or disclosed its terms. The proposed agreement is expected to include a substantial pay rise. Reports put Rice’s current salary at about £240,000 a week and say a new figure could approach £350,000, the reported weekly pay of teammate Bukayo Saka. That would represent an increase of roughly 46 percent and place Rice among the club’s highest earners. The figures have not been confirmed by Arsenal. Rice’s existing contract is reported to run until 2028. Negotiations over an extension have been under way for several months, with accounts placing their start in March. The duration of any new deal has not been established publicly; earlier reports suggested it could run until at least 2031. Arsenal have not said that Rice has signed or agreed to the proposed terms. The reports describe negotiations as advanced or close to completion, while leaving the final contract length and salary unconfirmed. No date for an announcement has been specified.