Mikel Arteta recently revealed that Declan Rice had his heart set on a move to Arsenal since day one.
Rice left West Ham to join Arsenal in a deal worth £105m in the summer, a move that left many fans upset.
While several clubs were interested in signing him, the player reportedly only wanted a move to Arsenal.
In fact, Danny Murphy even claimed that the midfielder told him in a cafe that he is excited at the chance to join Arteta.
He said (via Fabrizio Romano):
“When I spoke to Declan Rice, he mentioned to me many times from day one: ‘I just want to play for Arsenal and I want to play with you’.”
“He maintained his word to the last moment and we were good enough to acquire him.”
Rice’s alleged prior discussions about an Arsenal move before last summer’s transfer window has sparked discontent among Hammers supporters.
Declan Rice has been a sensational signing for Arsenal who has come in and made an instant impact to the team.
He has scored three goals and assisted one in 16 appearances. All three goals have come in clutch moments, two of them being stoppage time winners, against Manchester United and Luton.