Declan Rice agreed to join us in the summer because of our boss, Mikel Arteta.
Declan Rice’s time at West Ham was clearly up after helping the club win the Europa Conference League. He was aware of this, as was the club. The conundrum was where he was going and who could afford to obtain him at the high price he was going for.
Bayern Munich and Manchester City (who bid £90 million) were keen to sign him before us. However, we won that battle by paying £105 million to acquire one of Europe’s best midfielders for our side.
Rice could have joined any club, but he chose us. Have you ever wondered why this is so? If you haven’t already, Rice has explained on FourFourTwo why Arsenal was his preferred destination after leaving West Ham. The 24-year-old admits, “I saw myself fitting in, slotting in nicely, and the manager had a huge say in winning me over. It was the perfect fit, being a London boy and getting to play for Arsenal—I think it was the perfect move for me at this stage of my career,” he added.
“I know there’s so many more levels to reach, and feel like Mikel is the best manager to take me there. I learned so much over my time under David Moyes, and he improved me as a player.
“Now I can add a new dimension to my game — things I possibly hadn’t worked on before, weaknesses I had — and Mikel can bring the best out of me. That’s why I decided to join Arsenal.”
So far, so good, Declan. Keep improving and you could become an Arsenal legend one day.
Daniel O
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We no longer immediately fall apart when Partey pulls up with recurring injuries. Rice has stepped in and we go unbeaten in the league Rice is a rolls royce as they say, great engine