Arsenal have made some excellent signings under Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar in recent years, which have helped transform the squad.
Years of poorly scouted signings and panic buys meant that Arsenal were in a crisis when Arteta returned to the club as manager in 2019.
The squad was full of ageing and underperforming players, and the transfer strategy at the time was unclear and confusing.
Since then, Arteta and Edu have recruited well, building a young squad which is now competing for major honours, and they added to it last summer with big-money signings in Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Whilst Havertz took some time to settle, Rice looked at home from the moment he arrived, and has been outstanding all season.
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has now praised Rice, and explained why the Englishman was always destined to succeed.
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Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas praises Declan Rice
Speaking via The Standard, Fabregas claimed that he knew Rice would be perfect for Arsenal as soon as he arrived.
“For me, he was already a proven player,” Fabregas stated.
“You could see for two, three years that he was ready to jump into a big club. It’s all about his quality, but also his personality.
“I knew straight away this was a fantastic signing. This was exactly what Arsenal needed.”
How Declan Rice was always destined to succeed at Arsenal
A £105m signing always comes with risks, and other signings clubs have made with similar price tags have failed to deliver.
However, Rice arrived as a player who was already one of the best in his position in the Premier League, but who also had potential to develop even further.
He arrived with a clean injury record, and even a trophy under his belt as he won the Europa Conference League with West Ham.
He settled instantly both on and off the pitch, and has also taken his game to a new level under Arteta, and is now contributing more in terms of goal involvement in a more advanced role, whilst helping Arsenal excel defensively.
Rice has arguably been the signing of the season in the Premier League, and it speaks volumes that his price tag is rarely mentioned given the impact he has had on the side.