England midfielder Declan Rice is close to signing a new long-term contract with Arsenal, BBC Sport understands.
The 27-year-old has become one of the club’s most important players since joining from West Ham in 2023. His existing deal runs until the end of next season, but talks over an extension are already at an advanced stage.
Rice has started more than 150 matches for Arsenal. England manager Thomas Tuchel described him this week as one of the best midfielders in Europe.
The new agreement is expected to bring a significant increase to Rice’s salary. He currently earns about €277,000 per week, while his new wages would be broadly in line with those of Arsenal’s highest-paid player, Bukayo Saka, who earns about 404,000 per week.
The contract talks emerged one day after Arsenal announced that manager Mikel Arteta had signed a new four-year deal.