‘Well over £100 million’: Arsenal told why Declan Rice is the ‘perfect’ player for them

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Janusz Michallik has told Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to spend ‘well over £100 million’ on West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice during the summer transfer window.

The ESPN pundit added that Declan Rice is the ‘perfect’ player for the Premier League title-chasers and he is also a ‘great captain’ for his current club.

In the summer, the highly-sought-after midfielder will have 12 months left to run on his contract at the London Stadium.

There’s no doubt that when the season ends, West Ham’s phone will be ringing red hot because their star midfielder is going to be a massive talking point during the 2023 summer transfer window.

David Moyes has previously suggested that the Hammers will sell Rice for more than the £107 million Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez, if that’s the case, then would it be off-putting for interested parties?

Well, not for former USMNT star Michallik, who is in no doubt that Rice is the man Arteta needs at the Emirates next season, as he told ESPN.

“If I was Arsenal, there are probably two or three holes to fill, I would spend any sort of money, and I wouldn’t have said that a few months ago, on Declan Rice,” said Michallik.

“There’s zero question for me, not only is he a great captain of West Ham. He is exactly what they need. A number six that holds. A number six that protects and a number six that anticipates. A number six that distributes the ball really well.

“I would spend well over £100 million on Declan Rice. He knows the league. He is English. He understands the mentality of this league. He would be the perfect player. I wouldn’t look for anybody else.”

WILL RICE’S PRICE RISE?

It has been a season of struggle for West Ham as they battle relegation, but despite those issues, they should avoid heading to the Championship.

From that perspective, the price on Rice’s head might have taken a bit of hit, but if West Ham wins the Europa Conference League, then a few more million might just be added to his name.

Yes, the power is with Rice because of how much time he has left on his contract, but the Hammers have every right to inflate the players’ price if they win a trophy this season.