Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal new boys Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber set to get dream shirt numbers
Arsenal are closing in on the signings of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber.
Football Digest: Fee piles 'pressure' on Rice ahead of Arsenal move
Arsenal can welcome new signings Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber in the best possible style by handing the duo their dream squad numbers. Rice and Timber are both widely expected to join the Gunners over the coming days as Mikel Arteta plots another Premier League title bid.
Reports claim that Arsenal have finally agreed the structure of their £105million bid for Rice with West Ham. The Hammers were expected to accept the offer but were initially unhappy with the structure of the payments.
Rice has supposedly been given permission to travel to Arsenal to complete a medical and finalise his move. Arsenal fought off competition from Premier League title nemeses Manchester City to sign Arteta’s top target.
Meanwhile, the north Londoners are believed to have agreed a fee in the region of £40m for Ajax ace Jurrien Timber. Both new signings will get their preferred numbers, should they wish to continue with the digits they have worn in the past.
READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE with Declan Rice set for Arsenal medical before Xhaka exit [UPDATES]
Rice, whose imminent move was first reported by The Athletic, has worn No 41 during his entire senior career. Arsenal youngster Mauro Bandeira wore that number last season but eagle-eyed fans have already spotted the 19-year-old sporting the No 40 on his training gear during pre-season.
That leaves 41 vacant for Rice to snap up, while the 22-year-old defender Timber can take the No 2 he has worn at Ajax since 2020. No Arsenal player has worn the number two since Hector Bellerin’s final appearance in May 2021.
Rice is expected to undergo a medical later this week. The 24-year-old previously explained why he has kept the No 41 despite the opportunity to sport a smaller digit.
DON'T MISS...
Arsenal £50m exit could unlock more signings with four options on table [TRANSFERS]
Arsenal-bound Jurrien Timber snubs Ajax legend Marco van Basten's advice [LATEST]
Man Utd and Arsenal 'in eight-team scrap' for Oscar Gloukh as preference emerges [GOSSIP]
Speaking to Gary Neville on the Overlap, the midfielder said: "It was just the number I was given in the academy by the kitman, when you are in the under-23s there are the first team squad numbers and then it gets to the higher numbers and I was given 41 when I went to Seattle on my first trip with the first-team. I was just given 41 and it has stayed with me since.
"And to be honest with you I have been having these conversations with my dad, regardless of what happens in my career I may stay with 41.
"I just think Rice 41 has a nice ring to it and obviously I have grown up playing in it and I am a bit superstitious with things like that, I don't know if I change to a new number if it will hamper my performances, I don't know! Sometimes I think about things like that."