Arsenal couldn’t resist taking a subtle swipe at West Ham following confirmation of Declan Rice’s club-record transfer.
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Relations between the two London rivals have become strained over the course of last few weeks as the finer details of the 24-year-old’s move were being finalised.
Even up until Thursday, the Irons continued to harbour resentment at the way in which Arsenal, they perceived, were dragging their heels.
After Manchester City withdrew from the race, the Hammers had hoped for a quick resolution to a saga that began back in January when Mikel Arteta first identified the all-action midfielder as his No.1 summer target.
A disagreement over the structure of the deal caused a lengthy delay, however, and reports earlier this week claimed West Ham were annoyed that the paperwork required to sign off on Rice’s departure had not been received.
Referencing those claims, Arsenal captioned a picture of Rice signing his lucrative Arsenal contract, alongside Arteta and Edu, with the words ‘finalising the paperwork’.
With the transfer announcement now out of the way, the focusfor Rice will now centre on ensuring he is ready to make an impact on the upcoming US Tour where his new side are set to face MLS All-Stars, Barcelona and Manchester United.
‘It’s another great chance to see a fanbase in America,’ said Rice ahead of his potential debut next week.
‘I remember when Jack Wilshere was with us [at West Ham], we went to China and he had his own fanbase who were all Arsenal fans!
It was crazy, so they are all around the world and it’s a great chance for us to travel and to spend some time with them as well, and also perform in front of them.
‘We’ve got three fixtures in three great stadiums, so embrace it, pre-season comes around once a year so it’s time to enjoy, get fit and start winning games.’
MORE : Declan Rice reveals ‘crazy’ connection to Arsenal star upon completing £105million transfer
MORE : The most expensive Premier League signings of all time as Arsenal confirm Declan Rice transfer
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