Unbelievable breaking news! Full agreement reached,Fe agreed £65M – Arsenal set to unveil their first signing
Arsenal have now outlined a time frame in the pursuit of their top target, with a bid expected in the coming week.
What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?
That’s according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who detailed a brief update on his Twitter on Sunday night with regard to the Gunners’ interest in Declan Rice.
He wrote: “No breakthrough in the negotiations for Declan Rice at this stage. Nothing has changed with Bayern, Arsenal or any other club. Arsenal will bid after the final, Bayern are interested but nothing is done or close yet.”
With the reported price tag remaining at around £100m, it seems Mikel Arteta is bracing himself for a huge expenditure, whilst also likely awaiting the confirmation of Granit Xhaka’s exit first
Is Declan Rice better than Rodri?
Given their tendency to mimic Manchester City in tactics and transfers, the acquisition of Rice would allow their Spanish boss to mould him in the image of his compatriot Rodri, who has excelled at the base of Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing outfit.
Having signed from Atletico Madrid for £62.8m, few could have expected the 26-year-old to have such a transformative effect on this side, especially given he was expected to follow the unflappable fan-favourite Fernandinho
However, he has quickly established himself as one of their most important players, acting as a metronome at the base of their midfield, bullishly breaking up play with ease.
As such, he has maintained a mesmeric 7.32 average rating for this term, making him the fourth-best performer among this super team. Such form is underpinned by a 92% pass accuracy, to which he adds 2.2 tackles per game. His 100% dribble success rate is also phenomenal, and paints the picture of a player so unstoppably press resistant.
Meanwhile, for a once-relegation-threatened West Ham United, Rice has been achieving similar numbers, suggesting he is more than ready for the step-up. His 7.19 average rating is partnered with 2.1 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, yet he boasts an element of creativity in his 88% pass accuracy and six goal contributions, via Sofascore.
Former north London favourite Jack Wilshere even boldly questioned: “Who’s better than him? Physically he’s a freak, technically he can do anything. Now he’s added goals – he can do anything. He likes to put his foot and you’ve only got to look at the number of games he’s played at such a young age, you’ve got to have something about you.”
The England international has held down David Moyes’ engine room for some time now, with a level of quality far above where he has resided in the league. The 24-year-old is deserving of his big move to the apex of English football, and in joining the Citizens’ biggest title rivals at the moment, he would immediately instigate those comparisons with Rodri.
Fortunately for Rice, he more than stands up to him.
