Declan Rice was surprised by Mikel Arteta and his plans for the future after having a private meeting with the Arsenal boss back in January.
The Gunners are closing in on their second signing of the summer following the arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 24-year-old is set to join for a club-record fee of £105million and will earn a reported £240,000 per-week during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
However, it's a move that has been mooted for some time. According to The Sunday Times, Rice met Arteta earlier this year and was taken back by his skillset and plans to improve the midfielder's game. The report also claims that Arsenal have noticed that Rice is a 'quick learner' and can develop quickly.
