Fabrizio Romano reports that a new contract for Declan Rice is ‘really, really close’, if not ‘imminent’.

It’s just a case of sorting the final details now, and sending the paperwork to the lawyers to give the green light for the announcement. But Romano expects Rice to be the next Arsenal player to extend his contract.

The midfielder’s current contract expires in 2028, so it would be big news for Arsenal to get his extension sorted before his deal reaches its final year.

Romano adds that he expects Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz to be the next up for contract conversations, assuming they continue to impress on the pitch. Rice’s negotiations are clearly ahead at the moment, but those two are seemingly worth keeping an eye on.

Rice has had another busy start to the season, appearing in seven of Arsenal’s eight games. The only exception was the League Cup trip to Ipswich Town .

Of those seven appearances, Rice started six games, coming off the bench at half-time in the Community Shield. There’s been no sense of holding him back in the early stages of 2026/27.

Perhaps that fast start has come with a cost, as Rice has had to pull out of the international break despite an initial call-up from England .

There’s no suggestion Rice’s injury issue is anything too serious, but he’s evidently still not at 100%, having also struggled with some injury problems late last season and over the summer.