Arsenal legend Ian Wright has claimed that his former club “robbed” West Ham by signing Declan Rice for £105 million during the summer transfer window. The England international has continued to impress since moving to north London, quickly establishing himself as a key player.
Rice had been linked to a number of clubs, with Arsenal stating their intentions early on after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title. Manchester City tried their luck after a few bid rejections, but it was the Gunners who won the race and broke their transfer record in the process.
“I see him like a lighthouse,” Mikel Arteta said of Rice shortly after he arrived at the club. “He will light [up] the others, improve the others, and improve the team.” The way he talks, his ambition, and his love for the game are exactly what we need.”
So far, the 24-year-old has done just that, providing calm stability in the defensive phases while also offering plenty on the ball. Some significant Premier League moments have already followed him, such as the late goal against Manchester United that helped seal a crucial victory.
A dominant performance against Manchester City demonstrated his growing influence, while the opposition missed their own midfield maestro, Rodri. Overall, Rice could be the missing piece of the puzzle for Arteta’s title hopes, with the team now atop the table once more.
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Rice’s importance has earned him a lot of praise, including from Wright, who believes Arsenal overpaid for him in the transfer market. “It’s his [Rice’s] physicality and fluidity,” he said on Wrighty’s House. He appears to be strong; we simply appear to be different in his presence. I adore Martin [Odegaard], and he’s our captain, which makes me very happy, absolutely delighted.
“But when you have a player who averages eight or nine out of ten every week and leads by example in everything he does… you can’t help but think, ‘that guy is a captain.'” With the way he’s playing, that guy is a captain. And, without being biased, I was recently speaking with a couple of West Ham fans, and I always wind them up.
“I told them, ‘I feel like we robbed you; I think we should give you an extra £20 million.'” I’m going to give you an extra £20 million because it makes me feel bad that we only got him for £100 million’. I can’t recall Declan Rice having a bad game since he broke through with West Ham and made the England squad. Every game, he does something noteworthy and has an impact on the game. Without a doubt, he’s made a significant difference for us this season.”
