Earlier this summer, Arsenal’s midfielder Declan Rice temporarily held the record for being the most expensive player in British history.
The 24-year-old made a high-profile move from West Ham to Arsenal for a substantial fee of £105 million, after a prolonged transfer saga that briefly involved Manchester City expressing interest.
Arsenal’s pursuit of Rice had been ongoing since January, with manager Mikel Arteta identifying him as the primary target for the summer transfer window.
Rice’s impact at Arsenal was immediately felt as he delivered a standout performance in their 1-0 triumph against Crystal Palace. Despite being reduced to 10 players due to Takehiro Tomiyasu’s dismissal following two yellow cards, Rice played a dynamic role in securing a crucial victory for the team at Selhurst Park.
However, the label of English football’s most expensive player is no longer attributed to Rice.
In the past week, Chelsea finalized a transfer worth £115 million to acquire Moises Caicedo from Brighton. This deal underscores the substantial fees that Premier League clubs can command for their standout talents.
When questioned about relinquishing the record to another midfielder by Sky Sports, Rice provided a witty and remarkable response.
Declan Rice responds to Moises Caicedo transfer record
Speaking on Monday Night Football after the win over Palace, Rice was quizzed about whether he could believe that he had been the record holder for only weeks.
He replied: “I had it up on the wall for two weeks, it’s come down already!”
“Can’t believe Caicedo has broken your record already though Declan?” 😅
“I had it up on the wall for two weeks, it’s come down already!” 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/cGS36Zuzej
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 21, 2023
On his time at Arsenal so far, he added: “Do you know what, before the game tonight, I was on the way to the game, and I just thought: ‘Let’s go out there and try and put on a show’.
“I wanted to go out there and perform. I was just really up for it. Only two games in, obviously there’s so much talk about the price tag and me playing for Arsenal.
“I want to keep proving people wrong, that I can play at the top, and I want to keep on putting in top performers.”