Declan Rice, Arsenal’s ‘transformer’: The story of how the Gunners pipped Man

There is a word Mikel Arteta repeatedly plumps for during recruitment discussions: “reassurance”.

Sure, there are specific technical qualities he seeks from the transfer targets monitored, but Arsenal’s manager places an emphasis on how they react in testing situations, stretching from being given greater responsibility to facing a deluge of criticism.

‘You need to know what you’re going to get’ is his explainer, and it would point to why he has signed Gabriel Jesus and Alex Zinchenko from former club Manchester City.

It was also significant in the pursuit of Declan Rice, who even at a cost of £105m was considered the greatest reassurance any club could get in midfield.

Arsenal’s move for the England international is often wrongly plotted to the winter window in 2023, when West Ham would not even entertain any conversations let alone offers for their captain.

By that point, the north Londoners already had over six months’ worth of work – financial plans, data reports, character reference checks, and how the rest of the squad could be shaped with Rice in it.

Outgoing CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Edu had run through the methodology of how Arsenal could secure Arteta’s centrepiece with the manager.

They then flew to Los Angeles to present the detailed plan to Stan and Josh Kroenke, who bought into the vision of Rice being a “transformer” and signed off the pursuit.

A full year before the midfielder agreed to add more steel to Arsenal’s swagger, his club-record-obliterating transfer had been sketched.

A complex and unprecedented deal in the club’s history was also helped by director of football operations Richard Garlick, who was promoted to MD at the turn of the year, building a strong relationship with the player’s father, brother and commercial advisor who take care of his career.

There was not even a flinch when City tried to muscle in on the transfer as Arsenal considered it done. Their only concern was settling on a fee with West Ham, not losing out to rivals due to the formidable work they had put into the move.

“Everybody knows that we wanted him,” Pep Guardiola said in October. “In the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more.

“Maybe Mikel was more convincing than me…