Mikel Arteta insists Declan Rice has not but reached his ceiling as Arsenal put together to face Chelsea on Sunday, the place the midfielder is anticipated to go head-to-head with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in one of the vital anticipated midfield match-ups of the season.
The three gamers commanded charges past £300 million mixed, every arriving for sums above £100m, and have recurrently featured among the many Premier League’s standout performers this marketing campaign.
Rice just lately confirmed he chosen Caicedo in his vote for the 2024-25 Staff of the 12 months, protecting the continued comparability between the 2 alive.
Arteta, nevertheless, is satisfied the England midfielder can increase his affect much more, even after a constant twelve months on the coronary heart of Arsenal’s facet.
Requested whether or not that is Rice at his peak degree, Arteta replied: “Most likely a 12 months or two in the past, sure, however now being with him each single day, understanding and connecting with him in the way in which I’ve completed, we’re going to get extra.
“As a result of he needs extra, the staff is aware of him higher, his function is rising across the staff. The affect he has on the staff, it’s enormous.
“I knew him for a very long time [before signing] and I knew how he might evolve and alter the staff. He has definitely completed it and doubtless improved on these expectations.”
A lot of Rice’s most influential work at West Ham got here from a deeper defensive slot, however Arteta has pushed him additional ahead at Arsenal, serving to unlock a wider vary of attributes.
Whereas unable to pinpoint one match that satisfied him Rice was the appropriate signing, Arteta revealed he had a transparent thought the place the 25-year-old might be used when Arsenal moved for him.
“I might have to consider it however more often than not, when you have the choice to see a participant stay and sense him, get that vitality, presence and charisma, on high of his qualities, it’s one thing else,” he mentioned.
“Most likely when he was round I mentioned, ‘hmm, that’s a particular participant.’
“To be honest I had this one, I had one other place that was a little bit bit additional again to do one thing else and he can adapt to something you throw at him.
“In the mean time, that’s what we have been considering, in entrance might be rather more constructive for the staff.”
Rice has taken on a bigger management function on the membership since his arrival in North London, constructing on his expertise as captain at West Ham and changing into an more and more vocal determine inside Arsenal’s core squad construction.
Arteta mentioned: “An enormous quantity. Clearly he was captain at West Ham. He comes right here to a brand new membership, a brand new setting and there have been issues already set, however he has earned the appropriate to extend that function.
“To be extra necessary, to be very current in every thing we do, he’s within the management group, which is essential.
“He’s an actual presence. He doesn’t have to put on the armband to really feel actually related, actually highly effective and actually necessary within the staff.”