Why Declan Rice is the Weapon the Gunners Need
Could he push them over the edge?
Declan Rice has been one of the most exciting prospects of the last few years and the Hammers know this. They’ve done well to give Rice the tools needed to develop and increase his skills and talent as a footballer, but with his time in East London at an end, it’s time to analyze what exactly the midfielder can bring to Arsenal.
The Gunners came within spitting distance of claiming the Premier League title last season, only losing out in the last few matchweeks with a bad run of form. Liverpool will know all too well the feeling of being nearly perfect all season, but just not quite having enough to beat a truly exceptional Manchester City side.
The question remains: is Declan Rice enough to take the Gunners to their first English Title since 2004?
Arsenal Pull the Trigger on Record Midfielder
At an eye-watering £105 million transfer fee, the English tax proves alive and well in the current transfer market. Maybe Rice isn’t necessarily worth the triple digit sum he now boasts, but to the Gunners, he may be.
What Arsenal lacked in depth, grit, and experience last season, Declan Rice may be able to provide. Arsenal didn’t lose the league for lack of talent—they have one of the youngest, most talented squads in world football—but there was a distinct lack of quality in the final eight weeks of the season.
Things began to look shaky after their 2–2 draw with Liverpool on April 9th, where they went on to draw the next two matches and then lose to Manchester City 4–1.
This is something you simply can’t do in a modern title push, much less with the Cityzens breathing down your neck.
The Arsenal front office are betting on Rice to provide the quality in squad depth they were lacking last season (especially with the absence of Saliba) and hopefully provide a mentality fortification for the young squad.
Rice does boast several years in Premier League and European experience. He recently led West Ham to a Europa Conference League Title, their first trophy in 43 years.
This last win could prove invaluable to the Gunners. At the late stages of the season, Arsenal’s young roster couldn’t seem to muster the will to see them through to the final day of the season. And at the most crucial moments in a Premier League season, perhaps Declan Rice could provide that final push.
Declan Rice’s CV
At this point, Rice’s resume speaks for itself. He’s an exceptional talent at just 24 years of age and provides versatile attacking and defending options.
His skillset is one that Mikel Arteta will surely be able to use and get the best out of him. Rice’s ball control, vision, and prowess in holding the midfield will only strengthen Arteta’s side this upcoming season.
Does he provide a huge offensive boost to Arsenal? That remains to be seen, but even if he doesn’t, Arsenal isn’t really struggling in that department. They still have players like Jesus, Martinelli, Saka, Odegaard, and even Saliba to provide goals.
The 23/24 iteration of the Premier League will certainly be an interesting chapter for the Gunners.
