As per the Daily Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Declan Rice’s Arsenal move could be a bid away, as he feels the midfielder and Arsenal may have “secretly” agreed to the transfer.
“Arsenal are supposedly and have been quite like Real Madrid with Bellingham; they’ve supposedly got this deal verbally agreed with somebody that he’ll come to Arsenal, but West Ham are being sensible; they realise he won’t sign a new contract, and they’re trying to maximise what they will get for him, and I’ve heard them looking for as much as £150m for him,” said Edwards on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast.
Let’s say Arsenal brings him on board; he could replace Granit Xhaka in the starting 11. If he does replace the departing Swiss international, who will benefit more from his arrival? Martin Odegaard, who else? The Arsenal skipper is just coming off a resurgent season at Arsenal; he managed 15 goals and seven assists. Many expect him to continue soaring next term, and what a great opportunity he would have to do so playing alongside Rice.
If Odegaard could thrive playing alongside Xhaka, he could go to greater heights alongside Rice, considering the West Ham midfield is an upgrade for the Swiss international. While in 37 games last season, Xhaka only managed 10 blocks, 15 interceptions, 34 tackles (27 being successful), 41 clearances, and 19 headed clearances,
Rice, in the same number of games, bettered his stats as he had 15 blocks and 63 interceptions, 79 tackles (38 being successful), 55 clearances, and 32 headed clearances. Looking at those numbers, the West Ham man could make the difference in the Arsenal engine room.
Odegaard will only focus on attacking with the Hammer on board, continuing to develop as a playmaker and thereby taking his own play to another level….
Now the season is over, it’s time for the summer Arsenal quiz from our friends at Dublin Arsenal – It’s always a laugh and helps while away the time while we wait for Arsenal’s first signings to come in!
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