Arsenal 'spent €116m on a USELESS midfielder'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 15 Jul 2024 07:06 BST
• 3 min read

Rafael van der Vaart launched a scathing attack on €200+ million England pair Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham after the Euro 2024 final.

The Three Lions had managed to make their way to the showpiece of the Euros despite several underwhelming performances and things ultimately came unstuck when they faced the undisputed best team of the tournament.

Spain had been the standout side at Euro 2024 prior to the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin and they only confirmed this when they defeated England 2-1. A brilliant opener from Nico Williams was eventually cancelled out by Cole Palmer, but Mikel Oyarzabal fired La Furia Roja to their record fourth European Championship.

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Throughout the course of the tournament, England had come under heavy scrutiny and particularly the midfield was an area of concern for Gareth Southgate. After initially starting Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Declan Rice, he eventually settled on Kobbie Mainoo, but perhaps the Arsenal star was the problem all along.

Van der Vaart blasts Rice

At least that is the impression one gets when listening to Dutch pundit and former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. After the final, the Dutchman launched into a scathing tirade on the Gunners' record signing, with Rice having arrived for €116 million from West Ham last summer.

Speaking on NOS, Van der Vaart thundered: "What is he doing? He picks up a ball and then plays it back to John Stones. He is useless. If you are really worth a hundred million, you should also be able to play that ball forward."

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The former attacking midfielder also reserved some criticism for Jude Bellingham, who has become one of the faces of his former club Real Madrid since his €103m transfer. "Jude Bellingham is not there for the nice football, he is just a strong guy who keeps going for ninety minutes. He wears the number 10, but for me, he is not number 10."