Declan Rice is close to agreeing a new long-term Arsenal contract as the Premier League champions continue to secure the futures of their most important figures.
BBC Sport reports that negotiations with the England midfielder have reached an advanced stage after talks over an extension began several months ago.
Rice’s existing agreement expires at the end of next season, making a renewal an important piece of business for Arsenal despite there being no immediate danger of losing him.
The 27-year-old has established himself as one of Arsenal’s most influential players since completing a £105 million move from West Ham United in July 2023.
Rice has now made more than 150 starts for the Gunners and played an integral role in Arsenal ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League title last season.
His importance is expected to be reflected financially in the proposed agreement.
BBC Sport reports that Rice currently earns around £240,000 per week and would receive a significant increase that could take him close to Bukayo Saka, who is believed to earn approximately £350,000 per week.
Those figures have not been officially disclosed by Arsenal.
The development comes shortly after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta committed his own future to the club by signing a new contract until June 2030.
Arteta’s renewal was presented by Arsenal as part of their ambition to create a sustained winning period after last season’s breakthrough.
Securing Rice for the long term would represent another significant step towards maintaining the core of the squad that delivered the club’s 14th English league title.
The midfielder’s standing extends beyond his importance at club level.
England manager Thomas Tuchel recently described Rice as “one of the very best midfielders in Europe” while discussing increased competition for places following Alex Scott’s impressive international performances.
Rice withdrew from England’s latest squad for load-management reasons after struggling with an upper-hamstring issue during the World Cup.
Tuchel nevertheless stressed that the Arsenal midfielder’s importance to England had not changed despite the emergence of alternatives.
He had previously described Rice as one of Europe’s leading players following two outstanding seasons at Arsenal and named him England vice-captain ahead of the World Cup.
With negotiations now approaching their conclusion, Rice could become the latest central figure in Arsenal’s title-winning project to commit his long-term future to the club.