Tony Cascarino thinks Arsenal’s transfer deal for Declan Rice is similar to when Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool purchased Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
Prior to Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker joining Liverpool, the club had yet to lift a trophy under their German coach, before they had lift-off, including winning the European Cup and the Premier League title.
Could Arsenal’s club-record deal for Declan Rice help Mikel Arteta over that Premier League title line? Well, former Republic of Ireland star Cascarino is certainly excited by it and he feels it’s a ‘statement’ by the club, as he told talkSPORT.
Up until April of last season, the title was in the hands of the London club, but their collapse at Liverpool, which was followed up by draws at West Ham United and Southampton, started their demise.
Whilst Rice doesn’t have the experience of winning the big trophies to his name, it needs to be remembered that Van Dijk signed from Southampton and perhaps arrived from a lower level than Arsenal’s new man, at the time.
Either way, it’s the Premier League title chasers sticking their chest out again with this Rice deal and Cascarino is a big fan of it all.
“I think it’s pretty clear that Arteta knows what he wants to do, how to mould a team and put it together,” said Cascarino.
“You can only be excited if you are an Arsenal fan about this deal (for Rice). This is a sizeable moment for Arsenal. It’s the Virgil van Dijk and Alisson type of deal. Man United did this often when they were being successful. Chelsea have done it as well.
“That deal which is just like ‘wow, that’s a huge signing by the football club and a statement of intent’.”
Arsenal’s Premier League title push
The team came ever so close last season, but they just weren’t able to cross that line, although, they also have themselves to blame.
Their performances during the final few months of the season, for the past two campaigns, have been worrying.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arsenal start well once again, but where the real pressure will arrive will be those final few months because that’s where titles are won and lost.
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