Declan Rice has spoken of Arsenal's 'hunger' as one of the key factors that drew him to the club after signing for £105 million.
The deal was finally agreed on Saturday after weeks of delays, as the former West Ham star became Britain's most expensive footballer.
He arrives at the club after a nine-year spell in East London where he made history as the third West Ham captain ever to lift a major trophy with last season's Europa Conference League win.
The 24-year-old penned an emotional open letter to Hammers' fans after his exit was confirmed.
He has now given a more upbeat stance in his first interview as an Arsenal player.
When asked by the club's official website why he had chosen to join Arsenal, there had also been interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich, he said: 'I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been going on.
'Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with the exception of Man City.
'With Mikel and how he works, the squad, how young everyone is, the energy around the club and also the challenge of getting Arsenal back to where they belong, that means a lot to me. I know the fans really want that. For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spend my best years at this great club.'
Arsenal led the Premier League for much of last season but fell away in the final weeks and ended up five points behind City.
Rice has become a regular in the England set-up over the past few years, and will join a number of his international teammates at the Emirates.
'There are some unbelievable players I’ve played with at international level and now I get to share those same duties at club level,' he said. 'All of them have spoken so highly about the club - how each and every one of them have improved under the manager. When you hear things like that, you really take it in your stride and listen.
'You’ve got players like Saks [Bukayo Saka], who’s now one of the best wingers in the world. There’s Rammers [Aaron Ramsdale], who is one of the best keepers.
'You’ve got Whitey [Ben White] at right-back, who was unreal last year. There’s [Emile] Smith Rowe and so many in the squad. They all speak so glowingly of the club and the direction it’s been going in the last few years, so it’s really exciting.
Rice's arrival in North London will be welcomed after a bittersweet 2022-23 campaign.
Mikel Arteta's side outperformed most commentators' pre-season expectations, but after leading the league for so long it was disappointing to finish the year without silverware.
Part of the issue came from a lack of depth that meant injuries had a big effect on performances, but Rice's arrival is likely to ease that and provide greater competition in the squad.
He will slide into the first-choice midfield three alongside captain Martin Odegaard, leaving fellow new signing Kai Havertz to battle Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Fabio Vieira for the last spot in the side.
Arsenal's defence has also been bolstered, with William Saliba signing a new long-term deal and Jurrien Timber arriving from Ajax.
The Gunners are set to continue their preparations for the coming campaign with a trip to the United States where they are scheduled to play three pre-season friendlies.
On Thursday morning, Arteta's side will take on the MLS All-Stars in Washington DC, before facing Manchester United on the 22nd of July in New York and Barcelona four days later in Los Angeles.
The club will then play host to Monaco at the Emirates on August 2nd in their final warm up game before beginning their Premier League season against Nottingham Forest on August 12th.