MADRID — Declan Rice has hinted he is likely to sign a new contract at Arsenal to extend his stay at the club beyond 2028.
The 27-year-old joined the Gunners from West Ham for £105 million in 2023 and his current deal expires at the end of next season, although the club have an option to extend by a further year.
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Sources have told ESPN that talks have taken place across several months and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has said it is “a matter of time” before Rice commits his future to the club.
The midfielder expressed his desire to stay at the Premier League champions when addressing media ahead of England’s Nations League clash with Spain in Madrid.
“I’ve been extremely lucky that I’ve managed to play at such a consistent level throughout my career,” said Rice.
“I’m a player that always sets myself targets, always pushes for more. I’ve always been stable in the clubs I’m at. New contract hopefully on the horizon soon.
“I’m extremely lucky I’m at a club like Arsenal where the manager shows me so much trust, I’ve so many teammates who put so much energy and effort into me. I’m extremely lucky that I don’t have to worry about that stuff. It makes playing football a lot easier.”
Rice hopes England can emulate Arsenal’s recent progress in overcoming years of underachievement to win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years and reaching last season’s Champions League Final for only the second time in the club’s history.
“What the manager has installed in us at Arsenal is to not have any fear,” Rice said. “The progression in the Champions League over the last three years — quarterfinal, semifinal, final — coming to this stadium last year, we’ve been to the Bernabeu, Bayern Munich.
“The Arsenal of old may have struggled in those stadiums. Playing in that team now, putting on that shirt before that game, you know what you’re going to get before you go out there.
“You’re going to get a strong team, togetherness, we’re going to run for each other, we’re going to play forward, So I’m extremely lucky at the minute that I’m in a beautiful team with such great players and with a manager who is leading us and with players who listen to him and follows all his instructions. It is no surprise we’re on the trajectory we’re on at the minute. Long may it continue.
“That togetherness, that’s what’s building [with England]. Thomas is only short into his reign here at England. He’s come in with the World Cup straight away and now playing the top teams in the Nations League.
“But you need time to time to build these things. Squads are constantly changing. There are players who pull out with injuries every now and again. We’ve not always got the same squad.
“So I think the biggest thing for me is constantly, every time we’re in camp, build that togetherness when we’re in training, build relationships and then take that into this kind of game tomorrow night and that’s where you see where you’re at as a group.”
England boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed James Trafford will start ahead of Jordan Pickford in goal while Ezri Konsa (knee) and Djed Spence (muscular) are fit after missing Thursday’s 2-1 win over Croatia.
