Why Arsenal Must Sign Declan Rice This Summer
In the latest transfer window, Arsenal Football Club attempted to sign two players for big money, Mikhailo Mudryk and Moses Caicedo. Mudryk signed instead for Chelsea (sigh) and Brighton refused to sell Caicedo and Mikel Arteta got two much cheaper options in Leandro Trossard and Jorginho.
I think both of those transfers were nifty bits of business halfway through the season, spending little money on two experienced Premier League players. Trossard especially has been extremely effective this season and offers a different profile to our forwards as well as considerable versatility. There is more of a question mark over Jorginho for me but I completely understand why Arteta chose these two players. They help us with our squad depth and will enable us to keep pushing for the title. It’s important to remember that it is our starting eleven that has gotten us to the position we are in in the league: they are without a doubt good enough.
However, in the summer, we need to sign a couple massive players for big money. Not just as a statement of intent, but more to push our squad to the next level, to upgrade wherever is possible and to squeeze every bit of talent out of our squad. There are such, such fine margins at the top and the most elite players are the ones who make the difference.
So who is the player we must sign above anyone else? Is it Rafael Leao, Kaoru Mitoma (did you know he has a degree in dribbling???), or Moses Caicedo? While any of these players would be unbelievable signings, they’re not the man Arsenal needs most.
That man is Declan Rice.
In Mikel Arteta’s set up, the 6 is the glue of the team. He’s the one who always defends and always attacks (from a distance). He never goes into the opposition box but sits deeper, recycling the ball and poking the opposition when the team is set up high. He defends in front of the centre backs, occupying that crucial space where good teams hurt you.
When Arsenal have the ball and move up the pitch, they set up in a 3–2, usually with White, Gabriel and Saliba as the 3 and Partey and Zinchenko as the 2. Sometimes White overlaps and it is up to Partey to step into the 3 and Xhaka moves back into the 2, but our rest defence is set up so that the defending team can’t easily counter attack. In my opinion, that has been the biggest transformation this year compared to previous years as an Arsenal fan. I don’t feel queasy when we lose the ball in attack, instead I feel safe. To keep that up, we need a physically present 6, especially against great counter attacking teams.
Partey has also scored a couple of goals this season, notably that wonder goal against Spurs. This is also an invaluable contribution, destroying the opposition without them even getting a look in. His passing can also be outstanding, especially the curl he sometimes gets on the ball, although this isn’t something he does that consistently.
So why do we need Rice? What is wrong with Thomas Partey?
On his day, nothing. When he’s playing well, Partey is absolutely elite with the physicality, positioning, presence and passing that we need from his position and I don’t think Rice would do a better job necessarily.
However, there are a couple of issues with Partey. Firstly, his injuries. He’s not a player that you can rely on for 38 games a season. This season, he has missed far fewer games than usual but if he gets a long injury now, I am almost certain that we won’t win the league, with no disrespect to Jorginho.
Secondly, while Partey performs very well a lot of the time, he has a couple of games every ten or so games where his level drops and he is sloppy with possession and costs us a bit in build-up and an elite midfielder doesn’t do this.
Thirdly, Partey is turning 30 in June and his physical decline will likely begin. While it’s not urgent at his age, I think this is the time to bring a player like Rice into the team and learn alongside Partey.
Finally, Partey doesn’t always have the pausa that we need. Sometimes, he goes forward too quickly, not allowing the team to build-up. Of course, this is good on occasion, but sometimes he needs to slow down more.
What does Rice offer?
Declan Rice is an elite 6. For England or for West Ham, he is an extremely consistent footballer and he impressed me massively at the World Cup, where I thought him, Bellingham and Saka were our best players.
Incidentally, I think Bellingham is the only man better than Rice that we could sign (Tchouaméni would be just below Rice) but I just have the feeling that a Bellingham transfer would never happen whereas I can see Rice signing.
Rice is very calm and collected with the ball, progressing the ball well without taking unnecessary risks. He is prone to a long pass and a long ball, which gives good balance to his game. Having that threat opens up things on the pitch for him.
Defensively, he is very solid, being very good at interceptions and blocks according to statistics. This tells you that his positioning is very good. He will also run on the pitch all game and you know what to expect from him every single game, week in week out, an essential quality for a Mikel Arteta 6. Essentially, Rice is just a very, very good footballer, whatever you choose to look at it, including both statistics and the eye test.
He has just turned 24 years old and has shown his loyalty to West Ham, which they returned by making him captain at only 23 years old. This Arsenal team is no stranger to young captains, with Martin Odegaard being made captain of his national side at only 22. That’s the kind of mentality and brain of footballers you want in your midfield.
With West Ham performing poorly this season, no one would begrudge Rice a move away and a chance to win silverware. On top of that, his contract expires in June 2024, meaning that if he wanted to leave, this would be the best opportunity for West Ham to cash in and find a suitable replacement.
With Arsenal’s process well under way and such a talented, former 6 manager as Mikel Arteta, this is a transfer that makes so much sense for both parties. With a spine of players like Rice, Saliba and Odegaard, as well as the brilliant Bukayo Saka, and Mikel Arteta, this is an Arsenal team that should be competing for titles (and Champions Leagues) for years to come. Arsenal need Rice.
