Arsenal’s pursuit of Declan Rice has been in the making for a long time, and for almost the whole of last season, it was obvious they needed a commanding midfielder like the English international on their books.
Arsenal came so close to winning the Premier League last season for the first time since 2003/04 when they went unbeaten for the whole season, earning themselves the nickname “Invincibles.” However, Manchester City’s late run of 11 consecutive wins toward the end of the season guaranteed them their fourth Premier League trophy in five seasons.
Arsenal’s late collapse began with a couple of draws with Liverpool and Southampton, dropping precious points. They would also go on and lose to Brighton and Manchester City, eventually losing out on the league they had topped for 248 days.
Will Declan Rice Be The Costliest British Player Ever?
Man City got one over Arsenal last season when they pipped the Gunners to the Premier League title, and history may repeat itself. Only this time, they’re battling to sign one of the most all-round midfielders in English football – Declan Rice.
Arsenal had been leading the race before the end of the season. However, Manchester City have joined the race, with Ilkay Gundogan opting to join Barcelona on a free transfer in favor of a new contract at the Etihad.
This has left Manchester City with a hole to fill, despite the recent signing of Kovacic from Chelsea. Arsenal have had two bids turned down for Rice and have made a third after Manchester City’s opening bid was turned down two days ago. This bid is reportedly over £105 million, which will make him the most expensive British player ever, beating the £100 million City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.
City are expected to make another bid in the coming days, as reported by David Ornstein some hours ago. West Ham are playing hardball and will not respond to Arsenal’s offer until they hear from City again.
Which Coach Should Declan Rice Pick, Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta?
Declan Rice was always expected to join Arsenal because City were never in the race. The latter had a midfield that was already strong, with quality players like Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, and the newly-converted John Stones.
However, the quality has depleted a little with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan, leaving Guardiola no choice but to go for one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. This leaves Declan Rice in a very interesting situation. He may choose Manchester City and walk into a team that have just completed a treble last season.
On the other hand, he may join Arsenal and have the whole team built around him as the star man, although success is not guaranteed.
His decision will be made in the next few days, with Arsenal the favorite to sign him now. But where do you think Declan Rice should play next season?
