Declan Rice might just be the signing of the season in the Premier League.
It’s ludicrous to say it about a player who cost £105m, but the midfielder has been that good.
The England international has been arguably the Gunners’ most important player during this title race, and there’s a case to make that he’s even been a bargain this season.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Don Hutchison has been discussing Rice and his performance against Bournemouth at the weekend, claiming that Rice almost looked like Patrick Vieira during this game.
Declan Rice compared to Patrick Vieira
Hutchison spoke highly of the midfielder.
“Cheap, he was cheap wasn’t he. This reminded me of prime Vieira the way he played here. Box to box, fit, turning away from players, too strong for anyone, durable, doesn’t miss any games, just a fantastic player,” Hutchison said.
Declan Rice has been worth every penny
It’s hard to say that Rice has been cheap at a club-record £105m fee, but it has to be said that he’s been worth the money.
When you sign a player for that much, you want a huge impact, and that’s precisely what Rice has brought to Arsenal.
The 25-year-old has dominated almost every game he’s played this season and he’s brought an incredible blend of calmness and power to this Arsenal midfield.
£105m seemed like an astronomical fee at the time, but now, Rice looks like he was almost a bit of a bargain.
There’s no higher praise as an Arsenal player than to be compared to Patrick Vieira, but Rice is perhaps the most dominant midfield player the Gunners have had since the Frenchman left the club back in 2005.
Arsenal have been looking for their Vieira replacement for almost 20 years, and now, they’ve finally found him in the shape of Rice.