England star completes British record transfer - Why Arsenal were desperate to sign Declan Rice

Arsenal seem intent on having one of their busiest summer transfer windows ever, as Mikel Arteta & Co. look to capitalise on an impressive second-place finish in the Premier League last season and the promise of Champions League football that follows. Following the arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber from Ajax, the North London club have now completed perhaps the biggest transfer of the summer window by signing West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. 

Following a statement from West Ham that confirmed that Rice would depart the club for a British transfer record, Arsenal then announced their new signing to fans on Saturday afternoon. “We’re really happy that Declan is joining us," said Mikel Arteta in a club statement. "He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now. Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here."

Bayern Munich and Manchester City had previously shown interest in the England international, but Rice has now joined Arsenal in a deal that will break the club's previous transfer record. According to the Athletic, the 24-year-old talent will complete the move for no less than €123 million, which will go some way beyond the previous record of €80m paid for Nicolas Pépé in 2019. The transfer will also surpass the current transfer record paid by a Premier League side, which currently stands at the €121m Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernández in January. But what makes Rice so appealing to Premier League giants, and is he really worth breaking transfer records for? 

Why Arsenal were desperate to sign Declan Rice 

Perhaps the most obvious reason why Rice was so highly sought-after is the simple fact that he has been a leading star for West Ham in the Premier League for six full seasons and despite his relatively young age of 24, he’s proven to be an exceptional player in the world’s strongest league with plenty of room left to grow. And when we look at his key attributes we can quickly see why any club would be desperate to sign him. 

Played primarily as a box-to-box no.8, Rice is proficient and often a league-leader in plenty of defensive and attacking metrics. For example, when we consider the more defensive aspects of his game from the previous season, Opta suggests that Rice was first among central defenders for interceptions and recoveries in the Premier League, while featuring in the top 25 for aerial duels won, ground duels won and successful 50/50 challenges. In other words, he’s a smart reader of the game and more than capable of thwarting opposing attacks. 

But what makes Rice so appealing is that he also has an attacking edge to his game too. Alongside four goals and two assists in the Premier League this season, the England international also featured in the top 25 central midfielders for successful dribbles, key passes and goals from outside the box. Which means that while Rice may be more accustomed to playing as a holding or more defensive midfielder, he can also happily take part in counter attacks or launch forward plays from deep in his own half.