Arsenal are preparing to break their own wage ceiling for Declan Rice. The England midfielder is in line for a basic salary of around £350,000 a week, according to figures reported this week, matching Bukayo Saka at the top of the squad and setting a new club record.

Mikel Arteta put the renewal beyond doubt at a press conference on Sunday.

“My feeling is that he’s very happy here. Every conversation I have with him, he wants to continue here for the long term, and it will be a matter of time when we resolve that,” the manager said.

Rice is understood to be on about £240,000 a week on his current deal, which runs until the summer of 2028. The new contract would push him to parity with Saka, the current top earner, and give the Emirates a basic-wage figure the club has not matched before. The £350,000-a-week deals previously held by Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reportedly included performance-related add-ons.

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A record built on an Anfield breakthrough

Hours after Arteta spoke, Rice set up the only goal in a 1-0 win over Liverpool, floating a cross that Kai Havertz turned in from close range in the 16th minute. The move started with an Alisson error from a short goal kick that Martin Ödegaard intercepted.

The victory was Arsenal’s first league win at Anfield since 2012.

“I’m extremely proud. It’s been 14 years, which is a long time,” Arteta told reporters afterwards.

Arsenal moved to 24 points from a possible 27 and sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League. Liverpool failed to register a shot on target at home for the first time in a Premier League match since the 2002-03 season.

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Carragher: ‘Not even a debate’

Jamie Carragher used the Sky Sports post-match coverage to argue that Rice has moved into a tier of his own.

“He’s the best midfield player in the Premier League by a long way. It’s not even a debate,” the former Liverpool defender said.

Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham in the summer of 2023 for a reported £105m.

The new deal has not been signed. Rice’s current contract still has until 2028 to run, and Arsenal have not put a date on when the extension will be formalised.

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