‘Yes, I f*cking was!’ – Ian Wright admits to ‘tapping up’ Declan Rice as midfielder seals £105m Arsenal move

Ian Wright revealed he spoke to Declan Rice and convinced him to join Arsenal before the midfielder sealed a move to the club.

Wright, who spent seven years at Arsenal, revealed that he visited the English national team camp ahead of their European qualifying games against Italy and Ukraine back in March where he approached Rice and begged him to join Arsenal in the summer.

Speaking on Wrighty’s House podcast, the former Arsenal star said, “Everyone was saying when I went to the England squad, I was tapping him up – Yes, I f*cking was! I was! I was literally begging him! I don’t work for the club, I’m an Arsenal fan. I said, ‘Look at you & Saka, how cool you lot look together’. It’s just excitement.”

Wright also suggested that he is not affiliated to Arsenal in any capacity but as a fan he wanted Rice to come to his favourite club which prompted him to approach the midfielder.After completing a move to Arsenal for a club-record fee of £105m ($137m), Rice is set to travel with the squad to USA for a pre-season tour this month.