West Ham have confirmed captain Declan Rice will leave the club for a “British record fee” – with the midfielder expected to sign for Arsenal imminently. The Hammers are understood to have been involved in discussions with the Gunners over the structure of a deal for the 24-year-old with the fee expected to be £105million. “I am sorry to see Declan leave us but I believe that everyone at West Ham United should be very proud of the part we have played in his journey from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming the most valuable young player in English football,” joint-chair David Sullivan said in a statement. “I would like to make it clear to our supporters that we did not want to sell Declan. We wanted to build our team around him and made a series of improved, long-term contract offers to secure his future. “However, once Declan made it clear that he wished to move on and seek a new challenge, the club felt it would not be right to stand in his way, acting in the best interests of West Ham United.” Rice’s last act as a West Ham player was to lift the Europa Conference League trophy last month to secure the club’s first piece of silverware since the 1980 FA Cup and a first European trophy since 1965. The England international made 245 appearances for the club and manager David Moyes was understandably sad to see him leave. “I’d like to personally thank Declan for everything he has done during his time at West Ham United,” he said. “Obviously it is sad when we say goodbye to someone who has been with us for so long but we must now look forward. “As history shows, no player is ever bigger than the club. Our entire focus now is on building upon the success we enjoyed last season, adding to our talented Europa Conference League title-winning squad as we enter our third consecutive season in Europe, and continuing to develop the best young talent through our successful academy.” In a letter to fans Rice said his goodbyes after “an absolute whirlwind of emotion” over the last few weeks. “I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much,” he said. “This club and its supporters will always be in my heart, and forever a part of who I am. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game. “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Alex Greenwood happy with ‘humble’ England’s chances at Women’s World Cup Ireland’s Niamh Fahey says nothing can truly prepare team for World Cup opener On this day in 2014: World Cup winner Mike Tindall retires

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Harry Styles shocked fans when he ditched his signature locks and shaved his head - but now rumours are flying that there is particular reason the popstar is sporting the buzzcut look. Upon photos of Styles at a U2 gig in Las Vegas looking rather different getting shared, the internet reacted with memes, a Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, and at one point the pop star's mum intervened questioning what all the fuss was about. The latest rumour that has garnered attention is the theory that Styles shaved his head because he's going to star in season three of The White Lotus. Jennifer Coolidge, Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, and Sydney Sweeney are just some of the A-list actors who have starred in the show, the first season aired in 2021, followed by season two in 2022. It has been confirmed the Emmy Award-winning series will return for a third season, but it may not be released until 2025 due to strikes, HBO and Max chairman/CEO Casey Bloys said, as per Variety. While the show's creator Mike White has said he hopes to start filming “at the beginning of the year.” Some of the new characters written for the upcoming series include "a patriarch, a corporate executive, an actress, a couple of mothers, a misfit and a yogi," according to Deadline, we also already know the season will focus on exploring “death in Eastern religion and spirituality," as White confirmed last year. These details have led Styles fans to believe that the singer and actor shaved his head in preparation to play one of these roles. Plus, this rumour was further fuelled when anonymous celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi claimed that an "A-list singer" was "circling a part" - with the singer tipped to play the reported "yogi". Australian radio star Leon Sjogren also speculated this theory that we'll see Styles in the new season. This wouldn't be the first acting role for Styles, as he has previously starred in Dunkirk (2017), Don't Worry Darling (2022), and My Policeman (2022) as well as a post-credits sequence in the Marvel film Eternals (2021). It's been quite the year for the As It Was singer too, after he won Album of the Year for Harry's House at the Grammy Awards, and completed his last leg of Love on Tour - so as he's not touring fans noted how he has some free time on his hands to pursue a role like the one that is rumoured. However, Styles has since responded to the rumours that he'll be joining the new season of The White Lotus, as HuffPost UK reported that his team confirmed that Styles won't be starring in the show. While fans will be disappointed, they'll no doubt be watching in anticipation to see what Styles does next. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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