Kai Havertz celebrates scoring Arsenal's goal with Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Arsenal FC at Gtech Community Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Brentford, England.
Ian Wright has given plenty of praise to Arsenal star Declan Rice
Arsenal hero Ian Wright has claimed that his former side "robbed" West Ham in landing Declan Rice over the summer transfer window for £105million. The England international has continued to impress since making the switch to north London, taking up a role as a key player in a short space of time.
Rice had been linked with a whole host of clubs, with Arsenal making their intentions clear early on after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title. A few bid knockbacks saw Manchester City try their luck, but it was the Gunners that won the race and broke their transfer record along the way.
"I see him like a lighthouse," Mikel Arteta said of his expectations of Rice shortly after he joined the club. "He will light [up] the others and improve the others, and make the team better. The way he talks, the ambition he has and the passion for the game is exactly what we need.”
The 24-year-old has certainly managed that so far, adding a calm stability to the side in the defensive phases while offering plenty on the ball too. Some big moments in the Premier League have already followed him, such as the late goal against Manchester United that helped seal an important victory.
A huge performance against Manchester City showed his growing influence while the opposition felt the absence of their own midfield maestro in Rodri. In all, Rice could be the missing piece of the puzzle for Arteta when it comes to those title hopes, with the team now top of the table once again.The importance of Rice has led to plenty of praise, not least from Wright, who believes Arsenal paid below his worth in the transfer market. He said on Wrighty's House: "It’s the physicality and fluidity of him [Rice]. He looks strong, we just look different with him. I love Martin [Odegaard] and he’s our captain and I’m very happy, absolutely delighted with that.
"But when you have a player whose eight or nine out of ten every week, leading by example with everything that he does… you can’t help but think, 'that guy is a captain'. That guy is a captain in the way he’s playing. And I’m not being biased or anything, but I was speaking to a couple of West Ham fans recently, and I wind them up all the time.
"I said, 'I feel like we robbed you, I feel like we should give you an extra £20million. I’m going to give you an extra £20million because it’s making me feel guilty that we’ve only got him for £100million'. Since Declan Rice really kicked on with West Ham and got into the England squad, I cannot remember him having a bad game. Every single game he’s doing something of note, he’s affecting the game. I think, without a doubt, he’s the major difference for us this season."
0 Comments