After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last season, Arsenal has been active on the transfer market in attempts to strengthen their squad. The club announced the signing of German attacker Kai Havertz from Chelsea on Wednesday and is reportedly closing in on a deal with West Ham United that will see them land England international midfielder Declan Rice.
Arsenal agreed to pay around $85 million to Chelsea for Havertz, with the 24-year-old player signing a five-year deal. Havertz scored seven goals and had one assist this past season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in a statement that he is thrilled to welcome Havertz to the club.
“Kai is a player of top quality. He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play,” Arteta said.
The London club also seems to be in the prime position to sign Declan Rice. They agreed to pay $127 million to West Ham while also agreeing to personal terms with the player. There are still a few minor details left to sort out, but the transfer is considered close to the finishing line.
Rice was also pursued by Manchester City, who had their $100 million bid rejected earlier this week. City then pulled out of the sweepstakes, deciding the price was getting too high for their liking.
