Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha is confident that Arsenal will eventually see the best of new signing Declan Rice.
Declan Rice recently started for Arsenal in their Community Shield victory against Manchester City and was a transfer that cost the north London club a lot of money, so he is a player who is clearly rated by Mikel Arteta.
However, not everyone seems impressed with the midfielder, with Manchester United legend Roy Keane claiming on ITV that he is not worth £100m.
Onuoha, though, is expecting Rice to come good for Arsenal.
“You will see the best of him eventually,” the ex-Man City star said on The Gab & Juls Show. “When he’s played for a club where he’s the best player but the side like West Ham are OK, it’s different to then being in a side where everyone is good and every detail matters.”
Declan Rice may need time to adapt
While Rice may be familiar with the Premier League and has excelled in the division, he may very well still need time to settle at Arsenal.
As Onuoha mentioned, it is a different team, one with a different style and much higher expectations compared to West Ham.
It could take a while before the England international hits peak form. Overall, though, he is still a tremendous addition to Arteta’s squad.
Rice is a brilliant defensive midfielder who should add more steel to the Gunners’ engine room. The 24-year-old made 63 interceptions last season, which was the most in the Premier League (FBref).
Is Rice worth £100m? You can probably debate that. However, it is easy to understand why Arteta wanted him at the Emirates.
With the arrival of the former West Ham captain, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, Arsenal look much stronger. Whether they have improved enough to beat City to the title remains to be seen but, as things stand, you would expect them to be their closest challengers.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
