Owen Hargreaves has suggested that Declan Rice can be whatever Mikel Arteta wants him to be, and insisted that he is an amazing addition for Arsenal this summer.
Hargreaves was speaking on talkSPORT and previewing the upcoming campaign – in which, of course, Arsenal will be hoping to take that final step after last year.
Declan Rice has certainly been the Gunners’ marquee signing so far in this window. The 24-year-old became the club’s record signing when he finally made the move from West Ham.
Rice had previously established himself as one of the elite holding midfielders in the Premier League. And, given the fee, Arsenal fans will hope that he proves to be one of the final pieces in the jigsaw.
Hargreaves thinks Rice is an amazing signing for Arsenal
There is a lot of pressure on the England international. And the early signs in pre-season suggest that he is going to need some time to find his feet at the Emirates.
But Hargreaves is clearly incredibly confident that he has a huge future ahead – and that he could be a massive player for Arsenal in the years to come.
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“I love Declan. I even like the fact that he picked a team that isn’t champion yet. That tells you all you need to know about him. He wants to turn a team into a champion,” he told talkSPORT.
“There’s a big difference, to go somewhere where it’s already established.
“It’s interesting. A lot of people were criticising him, saying that he didn’t have enough goals, whatever. But I think Declan, in the team that he played in, did an amazing job. Because they played a little bit deeper, they didn’t have as much possession. It was hard for him to get into the box. I think Declan can be whatever you need him to be. And I think he’s an amazing addition.”
It feels like such a pivotal summer for Arsenal. They have decided to push the boat out after coming so close to winning the title last season.
If they do not manage to launch a genuine title charge again this year, it is surely going to be incredibly difficult for Arteta to take them to that level again.
But if everything clicks, it could be a very special era for the club. Obviously catching Manchester City is going to be a huge challenge for anyone – no matter how much money is spent.
But if Arsenal can put Pep Guardiola’s side under pressure again, that belief is only going to grow. And as Arsenal grow as a side and gain more experience, they can set their sights on closing that gap more and more.