Arsenal qualifying for the Champions League saw West Ham recoup the first of five potential £1m add-ons
West Ham United will receive an add-on payment of £1 million for the sale of Declan Rice after Arsenal qualified for the Champions League this season.
The amount takes to £101 million the fee that West Ham are now guaranteed to receive for their former midfielder. They will be paid £1 million a season extra for up to five seasons for every campaign that Arsenal play in the Champions League.
That covers the term of Rice’s five-year deal – although his contract also includes the option for a further 12 months.
Arsenal agreed an initial fee of £100 million for Rice when he was signed last summer, after they saw off interest from Manchester City. It was announced that it could rise to as high as £105 million and Telegraph Sport understands all those additional payments relate to Champions League qualification and the number of appearances Rice makes. It is thought he has to play 60 per cent of Arsenal’s games.
West Ham do not receive any extras should Arsenal win a trophy, such as finally being crowned Premier League champions, and weighted the deal heavily in favour of a guaranteed £100 million.
The extra £1 million they will receive means that Rice officially becomes the most expensive British player ever to be sold between two Premier League clubs – ahead of the £100 million that City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
West Ham drove a hard bargain in the negotiations to sell Rice having turned down Arsenal’s initial bid of £75 million guaranteed with up to £15 million in add-ons spread over five years. The offer from City was also heavily incentivised and, in the end, they did not come close to matching what Arsenal were prepared to pay for the England international. West Ham also achieved the payment plan they wanted.
Rice will now be hoping for his favour from his former club who face City away on the final day of the season. If they can prevent the champions from winning, and if Arsenal beat Everton at home, then Arsenal will win the league for the first time in 20 years.
The City fixture will also mark David Moyes’ last game in charge of West Ham with his departure, at the end of his current contract, announced last week after four-and-a-half years at the club. He will be replaced by former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julien Lopetegui.
Rice, 25, has been a resounding success at Arsenal since his move with the club’s supporters chanting “Declan Rice, we got him at half-price”.
