An intriguing condition has been added to Declan Rice’s contract at Arsenal, which allows West Ham first refusal on his teammate on the England national team.
Rice moved to north London after signing a contract with Arsenal in July for a then-record price of £105 million. He has since adjusted to life in the area.
Because David Moyes wanted the Hammers to get the most money possible for their prized possession, it took a lot of effort on the part of the Gunners to come to an arrangement with West Ham.
Rice’s contract was modified by the Hammers to include an intriguing clause that allows them first refusal on signing Emile Smith Rowe if he decides to leave the club in the following year. This clause was included while Rice was still playing for the Emirates.
According to Football Transfers, David Moyes considered Mohamed Kudus and Smith Rowe before deciding to sign the Ghanaian. Smith Rowe was Moyes’ initial choice.
Smith Rowe has made his comeback from a long-term knee injury, but Mikel Arteta has not yet given him the nod to start any of this season’s games.
The Englishman’s current deal is set to expire in 2026, but it is currently unknown whether or not Arsenal would be open to selling him or would be willing to loan him out.
During the summer, rumors circulated that a number of Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Chelsea in particular, were interested in signing the midfielder.
While reports have suggested that Newcastle is interested in making a move for him in January. An update on the Magpies’ interest was recently provided by a transfer analyst by the name of Fabrizio Romano.
“This [Smith Rowe] is a name that keeps coming up, but again I’m not aware of any concrete talk at this stage with Newcastle,” Romano said in an interview with Caught Offside on Tuesday. “Let’s see closer to the January window,” Romano added.
“As I have always mentioned, Newcastle is not moving forward with any signing at this time because it is essential for them to determine if they will be in the UCL in the second half of the season before moving,”
In April, Arteta gave the impression that Smith Rowe still had a promising career ahead of him at the club.
According to a statement released by Arteta, “He’s pushing,” and in football, “what you did a year ago or a month ago is not important; it’s about what you do now, what you do yesterday, and what you do tomorrow.”
“The player must go into the game with that frame of mind, and his contribution to the team must now be geared toward improving our play and bringing home victories.” He’s getting really close.”
