
| @FabrizioRomano:
“Let me say one thing about the secrets of the Declan Rice deal. We have to include once again not just the director, Edu, who has been pushing on this deal and has been trying to find the best strategy for a long time since January, but also Mikel Arteta.
“In the crucial hours when Manchester City submitted an official bid to sign Declan Rice, it was probably the most difficult and intense hours of the negotiations for Arsenal.
“Also, in that moment, Arteta was always very convinced of having Declan Rice as an Arsenal star. He's been pushing internally, but also on the player side. He's been explaining the project and talking about how the Arsenal project is perfect for Rice, his ambitious project is for the future and Declan can be a crucial player there.
“So Arteta has been very clear with all the players Arsenal are negotiating. It was the case with Kai Havertz, it's going to be the same with Jurrien Timber, but especially with Rice.
“Declan Rice and Arsenal is something that is going to happen also thanks to Edu and Arteta. Trust me, they did an incredible job in this story. So just waiting on the final bits of this story and then it's going to be ‘Here We Go’ for Declan Rice! [via YouTube] #afc