‘He was buzzing’: Danny Murphy shares what Declan Rice said to him about Arsenal man this past weekend
Danny Murphy has shared what Declan Rice was saying about Mikel Arteta after he spoke to the Arsenal-bound midfielder at the weekend.
Murphy was speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel as the West Ham captain continues to close in on his move to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have agreed a £105 million deal with the Hammers for Declan Rice. The Telegraph reports that the England international will undergo a medical in the coming days.
Murphy shares what Rice was saying about Arteta ahead of Arsenal move
It is no surprise to see Rice find himself on the verge of joining Arsenal. Reports from The Times all the way back in January claimed that he was Mikel Arteta’s top target for the summer.
And it seems that a move is now imminent. Certainly, judging by Danny Murphy’s comments, Rice thinks he is about to make the switch to the Gunners.
“I’ve got to say, it’s worth saying I saw Dec on Sunday at the cafe by mine. He was outside, I popped out to see him,” he told FIVE. “And we were chatting, and he was buzzing. He couldn’t wait to get to Arsenal. He said Arteta was magic when he met him.”
Of course, there is a reason why Rice was so sold on the idea of moving to Arsenal. It was not too long ago that Manchester City were making a £90 million bid of their own – as reported by Sky Sports.
It is going to be so hard for any player to reject the chance to join Pep Guardiola’s men. And had he really wanted the move to the Etihad Stadium, City would have surely spent much longer in the race.
Arsenal are definitely moving in the right direction. But they are not yet the finished article. So it is a big statement for Arsenal to sign anyone ahead of Manchester City.
And clearly, the chance to work with Mikel Arteta has had a big impact on Rice’s decision.
He obviously sees the Spaniard as the ideal coach to take him to that next level.
Based on his form last season, the idea of Rice reaching another level is a scary thought.
