West Ham captain Declan Rice has been linked with a move away from east London for, well, quite a while. Chelsea and Manchester United have most notably been linked with the midfielder for a couple of years now, but his club’s stance has always been pretty clear: they do not want to let their most important player go.
That was, of course, until they have since conceded that this summer could be the last opportunity for the Hammers to sell Rice for what he’s worth, with the England regular’s contract up in 2024 and a reluctance on his end to extend the deal.
Recent developments and speculation, though, indicate that he could be on his way to north London to continue his development under an ever-impressing new manager, Mikel Arteta – and with Arsenal firing the way they are, who could blame him?
As touched upon over on my Twitter, it is a move that makes sense for both parties. For all three, if you consider West Ham receiving a decent chunk of money for their main man.
If the deal is to materialise this summer, that money would almost certainly be enough to catapult Declan Rice to the top of Arsenal’s most expensive transfers. Whisperings of £70-80 million to secure his services would be a big commitment from the Gunners.
For me, though, it could be a perfect fit.
The player would be going to a club who are in a very good position, not just at present but for what looks likely to be seasons to come. Arteta’s side are young, exciting, cohesive, confident, and undeniably firing on all cylinders.
Still, Arsenal need a midfielder (or two, even), that much is certain. Their midfield three of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard have simultaneously hit their best form in red and white this season, but there remains a rather severe lack of quality in depth for a soon-to-be Champions League side.
Mohamed Elneny is an okay squad player. I see the Egyptian, who is currently ruled out indefinitely through a knee injury, as a player who doesn’t do much wrong, but doesn’t particularly do much well either – at least not to the level this Arsenal team could be hitting throughout this project.
For young prospect Albert Sambi Lokonga, it hasn’t quite worked out in north London so far. Having joined the club in 2021, he has failed to see consistent game time, and in the minutes he has seen, has for the most part failed to impress. After being sent to Crystal Palace on loan in January, his Gunners future remains unclear.
Jorginho was welcomed into the squad at the end of the January transfer window on a one-and-a-half-year deal from rivals Chelsea. When called upon, he has won over the Arsenal faithful - his last-ditch effort against Aston Villa is sure to have helped, but his performances have been consistently good. Good, but still causing a notable drop-off in stability and comfort.
As far as their options go at the base of the three, well, that’s it. One is injured, one is a new signing, and one may not be here at the start of next season.
Charlie Patino is seriously impressing on loan at Blackpool this season, but for all of his potential and quality, he is still young, inexperienced, and in my opinion would do nothing but benefit greatly from another year away. Arsenal must invest.
Some people may be asking: “is signing Rice a necessity, or a luxury? Why would they tamper with an exceptional midfield?”
If that is you, I understand your point, but this would be more than a statement signing.
Xhaka and Partey are 30 and 29 respectively and Declan Rice can potentially replace either player and the role they play in Arteta’s set-up. He lines up centrally under David Moyes, but tends to drift over up and down the left-hand side.
His style, in my opinion, makes him both a brilliant LCM and base puzzle piece for the Premier League leaders.
Rice is an elite dribbler and ball carrier, averaging 0.7 successful dribbles per 90 in the Premier League this season. He is powerful and direct on the ball, connecting defence to attack not only with his head down, but up and eager-eyed, with 6.69 progressive passes per 90 too. That’s fewer than Partey, but greater than Xhaka.
Not bad for a player often criticised for playing simple, sideways football.
The Englishman’s positional awareness is particularly impressive. Rice has an innate ability to sense cutbacks, crosses, and through balls, chopping up play and regaining possession time after time. His 1.54 interceptions per 90 make him one of the best in the league in this regard. In fact, Declan Rice has made more ball recoveries than any other player in the league this season.
In Thomas Partey's absence (which will be touched upon later), Arsenal have looked notably more susceptible to counter-attacks.
His elite-level defending around the penalty box makes him an opposition’s nightmare. In the first half of their 3-1 win against West Ham earlier in the season, Arsenal struggled to get in behind and Rice played a significant role in that, though his level did drop along with the Hammers as the match progressed and Arsenal found their feet.
Xhaka and Partey have been firing in front of goal so far this season, racking up a combined 12 direct goal contributions between them both in the Premier League. With 2 goals and 2 assists for Rice, he has one goal fewer than Partey, and two more assists, though falls well short of Xhaka who has hit new highs in front of goal.
Arsenal have a brilliant final-third outlet from the midfield, though, in captain Martin Ødegaard, which takes the pressure off of those alongside him in the middle of the park to contribute directly. 10 goals and six assists are exceptional output numbers for the Norwegian.
There are whisperings that Emile Smith Rowe’s future could be as a left-sided 8. Yet to find his feet again after injury, his 10 goals in the league last season demonstrated his elite composure and ball-striking, the latter also being one of Fabio Vieira’s biggest strengths, as proven in his superb finish at Brentford Community Stadium in September.
Their attacking prowess from the middle of the park doesn’t stop there. With Oleksandr Zinchenko performing as an inverted midfielder from left-back this season, Arsenal are far from lacking in firepower.
Overwhelmingly, it is defensive grit and security in midfield that Arsenal more than anything, which is unsurprisingly at its most obvious when Partey isn’t on the pitch. Jorginho has been far from a bad acquisition, but the drop-off in the centre of the park is still clear to see.
Since arriving in north London, Thomas Partey has encountered injury problem after injury problem, seeing him side-lined for many big games, including Arsenal’s final nine games of the 2021/22 season, in which they surrendered a Champions League spot to fierce rivals Spurs.
This is why it is absolutely crucial that Arsenal acquire a quality player to not only provide rotational back-up for Partey, but to challenge for the Ghana international’s place in the starting line-up.
As mentioned previously, Rice does also have the capabilities and attributes to operate not only as a 6, but also as a left-sided 8.
If Mikel Arteta was to go down this route with Rice, however, he would still need to reinforce further and obtain a backup for Partey - rumours surrounding potential incoming include Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. The option would handily be there regardless.
Down whichever route Arsenal decide to venture, Declan Rice should be the first player in their sights this summer. It is simply a move that just makes sense.
コメント