Declan Rice close to new long-term Arsenal contract, per BBC Sport

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Declan Rice is closing in on a new long-term deal at Arsenal, according to BBC Sport. The report states the England midfielder's current contract, which expires at the end of next season, is in the advanced stages of being renewed.

Rice arrived from West Ham in July 2023 for £105m and has since made 165 appearances for the Gunners, establishing himself as one of the first names on Arteta's team sheet. He played a key role last season as Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

BBC Sport first revealed in March that talks over an extension were under way, and those discussions have now progressed significantly. Under the terms being discussed, Rice would receive a substantial increase on his current reported salary of £240,000-per-week, bringing him in line with Bukayo Saka, believed to be the club's top earner on around £350,000 a week.

International standing

Rice withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's most recent England squad ahead of the three-week international camp, but that has not dented his standing with the national team. He has earned 80 caps since switching his international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland back in 2019, and Tuchel has previously described him as one of the