Cesc Fabregas has emphasized how our Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, can get more out of our record signing, Declan Rice.
Since joining us in the summer, the Englishman has been a revelation. He fits right in with Arteta’s project. Indeed, he has transformed the dynamics of our engine room. It’s the one position we don’t have to worry about. Since his debut for us, he’s played as a holding midfielder and, more recently, as a box-to-box midfielder.
Fabregas believes Mikel Arteta can get the most out of Rice if he is allowed to play as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a holding midfielder, which limits his ability to play with the ball at his feet.
“Rice’s physicality allows him to cover so much of the pitch that sometimes, as a lone No 6, you lose a big part of his capabilities, especially physically,” Fabregas told Premier League Productions via quotes by 90min. “He has grown with the ball.
“I think he is capable of giving final balls now, even to go to the edge of the area like Rodri. We have seen him a couple of times, edge of the box, Champions League finals, and scored the goals. Rice has that talent, as well.”
Rice can certainly “explode” in an attacking role, according to Fabregas’ words. The Englishman has only scored one goal in 11 appearances for our club, but he has tried nine shots, four of which have been on target, making him the fourth Gunner with the most on-target shots (only Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli have more), indicating that if he is to play in an attacking role, he has enough potential.
But would Arsenal lose out on Rice’s defensive qualities if he is permanently moved forward?
Darren N
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