West Ham can only watch on with envy as Arsenal look set to succeed where they tasted bitter £85m failure over Declan Rice.
Arsenal fans were quick to jump all over West Ham’s desperate pleas for Declan Rice to stay when he pushed to join the Gunners in a £105m deal.
Hammers fans had serenaded Rice relentlessly during matches in a bid to try and persuade him to sign a new contract at the London Stadium.
Close your eyes and you can still hear it echoing ’10 more years, 10 more years Declan Rice’.
West Ham fans dream of Rice return from Arsenal one day
The moment the Hammers faced Arsenal after his mega money move to the Emirates, Gunners fans were quick to goad their rivals with the same chant.
Nearly three years have passed since Rice’s departure but it still stings.
How does Mateus Fernandes compare to a young Declan Rice? 🇵🇹
What can he still IMPROVE upon?
West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at London Stadium on January 24, 2026 in London, England.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
And it has taken that long for the Hammers to finally find an adequate replacement in the shape of the brilliant Mateus Fernandes.
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West Ham fans have, however, taken great pleasure in the fact Rice is yet to win a major trophy with Arsenal after saying that was his reason for moving to north London.
Declan Rice lifts the Europa Conference League trophy with West Ham
Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Rice’s last significant silverware came as a West Ham player when he lifted the Europa Conference League trophy in Prague.
To his credit Rice still looks back on that West Ham achievement with great fondness even now.
One wonders what might have been had Rice stayed at West Ham and had a younger team built around him.
Jarrod Bowen’s father-in-law and Hammers fanatic Danny Dyer said this week that is exactly what should have happened and says he is still angry Rice chose to leave.
The Hammers’ under-fire hierarchy would argue they had little choice.
Rice snubbed £85m West Ham contract but looks set to sign new Arsenal deal
Now to rub salt in the wound, Arsenal look set to succeed where West Ham tasted £85m failure over Rice.
Before being sold to the Gunners, it was confirmed that West Ham gave up persuading Rice to stay after he turned down a club record eight-year contract worth £85m.
What are the chances that anyone goes for a BIGGER fee than Declan Rice? 💸
And how much would you demand for Jarrod Bowen?
Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 23, 2025 in London, England.
As reported by the likes of Sky Sports at the time, West Ham offered Rice a new contract worth £200,000 per week – which would have made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.
But the then 23-year-old rejected all offers and pushed to join Arsenal over Man City.
Many West Ham fans are highly sceptical the club ever truly intended to keep Rice given the temptation to cash in.
Declan Rice stares and smirks at West Ham fans who goaded him during Arsenal win
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
There had been speculation Rice may look to leave Arsenal if they do not start winning the trophies he left West Ham for.
But according to the likes of BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel, ‘all parties are optimistic’ over negotiations with Rice for a new contract.
It is reported Rice is happy at Arsenal and is currently negotiating the terms of a new deal to extend his stay in north London.
The Gunners want Rice to ‘commit his prime years to the club’ and the 27-year-old will be rewarded with a pay increase too.
Many Hammers fans hope and believe Rice may return to the club once his time with Arsenal comes to an end.
Now that may not be until he is well into his 30s, if at all, if he does indeed pen the new deal on the table at the Emirates.
Although fans wanted him to stay – and the owners claim they did too – you have to wonder what state West Ham would be in right now had they not made £105m of pure profit from the midfielder’s sale.
Because the Hammers announced club record £104m losses in their latest accounts – and that was with the Rice sale propping up the balance sheet for recent seasons.
Therein lies the difference between the two clubs’ ownership and their ambition.
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