Over a week has now passed since Arsenal “reached total agreement with West Ham to sign Declan Rice”, and it has still not yet been announced that he has signed.
Yesterday it was leaked that West Ham did not have a clue what was going on. That the medical was completed and contracts agree, but the paperwork was sitting with Arsenal’s lawyers.
It is interesting that after so much noise in the media, once a deal became close silence filled the space.
As we discussed previously, it was important to ignore the noise, or at the least understand where it was coming from.
All the leaks prior to the deal were coming from the West Ham side. And likewise, the story that “the paperwork is with Arsenal’s lawyers” has also come from their side.
There is plenty of speculation as to the reasoning Rice has not yet been announced. Here we will try and unpack those theories
Arsenal playing silly buggers
Play silly buggers in British Englishslang. to fool around and waste time.
During the negotiations, there was plenty of discussion about West Ham trying to manipulate the market in an attempt to up the price.
Stories kept flowing from their side that Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich were “on the verge of bidding”. In the end, only City bid, and that was swiftly rejected.
There was also talk that West Ham had increased a previously gentleman’s agreement on the fee following their minor European success.
The story goes Arsenal’s first bid was in and around the original asking price. West Ham then hiked their demands up and tried to embarrass Arsenal by releasing details of their offer, much below their new asking price.
With West Ham in agreement on the fee, and Rice committed to Arsenal, it is highly unlikely that the deal will collapse. Rice can not go back to West Ham and no one else will come in for him. This means the ball is now in Arsenal’s court.
Rumours are we are dragging our feet with the paperwork, knowing all of the above. That this is being done to punish West Ham who are unable to make any incoming transfers themselves until we have made that first payment.
It is a statement: “you played silly buggers during negotiations, we are getting our revenge now”.
Arsenal don’t have the money
A theory from West Ham twitter this time.
They are trying to say Arsenal are broke, can not afford the fee, and the delays are due to us trying to secure funding.
If this is true, and let’s be honest it isn’t, it would show huge incompetence on Arsenal that they have negotiated for both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber without having the cash.
But we do have the cash.
The club have just received around £100m for season ticket holders. The first instalment of this seasons TV money has been paid. As has this years kit sponsorship,l and manufacturing. July is usually when clubs have the most money in the bank.
The reported upfront payment for Rice is £40m, the Timber deal is around £30m. We could pay that tomorrow if we wanted.
Arsenal media team are incompetent
Not really sure on this one.
Some fans have blamed out media team for the slowness of the deal being announced.
They have pointed to other clubs, such as Liverpool, who this summer have got an announcement video out 24 hours after a “fee was agreed”.
It baffles me that some people think it is our media team that are holding up the deal. They can only release the content they have created once the deal is done.
The media team are at the end of the transfer train. They will be instructed when it is OK to release the video.
It shows the world we live in where everyone is desperate to watch a video on twitter. Bring back the days of Big Sol just rocking up to a press conference with everyone expecting us to announce Richard Wright.
I’d love a return to those days. Transfers being announced by press conference.
Arsenal are trying to save money on wages
Some clubs do leave their transfer dealings to the end of the window so save money on wages.
You buy a player on 31 August rather than 1 July, you can save yourself a million pound in. But Arsenal are (no longer?) one of those clubs.
One of the significant aspects of the Edu / Mikel Arteta era is our ability to get deals done early.
We did it last season with Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Matt Turner all signing before 4 July.
Olexsandr Zinchenko was our latest signing of last summers transfer window – signed on 22 July.
Arteta has apparently been very clear on matters. He wants his players in before the season starts so that he gets most of the pre-season with them.
The deal was always going to happen Friday
If you have followed the deal closely, and blocked out the noise, you will realise that an announcement towards the end of the week was always most likely.
There were a few windows available for the club to announce the deal.
The first was between the end of the internationals and Declan Rice going on holiday, but the deal was nowhere near complete by then.
The second window was always between Rice returning from holiday and Arsenal going away to Germany. Arsenal probably would have liked Rice (and Timber) to be out in Germany with the rest of the lads.
Rice only undertook the first part of his medical last Friday. It was completed Sunday or Monday (depending on who you believe). At that point, it was wheels up and the squad was in Germany.
As soon as the plane left, it should have been obvious to all that a deal would not be confirmed until the squad returns. That is Friday.
The 3rd window was between the German boot camp and the players going off to America. End of this week / early next.
On Monday, our view that Rice would not sign until the squad are back from Germany was also shared by a few on the West Ham side. The reliable ExWHUEmployee stated that Rice is “expected to sign those forms on Friday”.
Rice is not “still on holiday” in Portugal.
Arsenal’s international players have already returned to training. As has West Ham’s.
Due to not yet being an Arsenal player, and no longer welcome at West Ham, he has begun us first week of pre-season in the Algarve.
Rice has posted pictures of himself training alongside Portugal stars Raphael Leao, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Cancelo. I would not be surprised if there is an Arsenal coach out there, putting Rice through his paces.
Just like I suspect there is another Arsenal coach out in Holland working with Timber.
This would indicate that the plan was always to complete the Rice deal at the end of this week, once the squad are back from Germany.
And the fact that we have also not yet announced Timber indicates that he is in the same position.
Final thoughts
There really is nothing to worry about.
All signs point to this Friday. That is from those who know there stuff on both the Arsenal side and West Ham. Nothing has changed from Monday when Rice’s medical was completed.
Like before, ignore those on Twitter who make a lot of noise to just try and gain followers. Those weird accounts who just post every 5 minutes quoting sources no matter how invalid they are.
Arsenal can afford Rice, they are not playing silly buggers, it was always happening this Friday.
Expect Rice to be on a plane back to England today, and he will be joined by the rest of the Arsenal squad at London Colney tomorrow after the Nuremberg game.
Then it will be announced.
Ps: I have a feeling we might see Timber announced today at half time during the Nuremberg match.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 