Declan Rice: Arsenal's BARGAIN has surpassed £100m rivals in priceless transfer

Suraj Radia

7 Dec 2023 11:05 CST
3 min read

‘Value in the market’ is not a term often used to describe £100million-plus transfers but it is testament to the impact of Declan Rice that Arsenal fans started a GoFundMe to compensate West Ham for the ‘unfortunate robbery’ on them this summer.

Article continues under the video

Rice joined the Gunners in a deal that is likely to rise to £105m including add-ons yet the midfielder’s performances this season have already led to a genuine belief that Arsenal have pulled off a major coup at a bargain price.

The 24-year-old scored his third goal of the season with a 97th minute winner at Luton Town last weekend to send Arsenal two points clear at the top of the Premier League and leading to a fundraiser by fans to donate a further £25m to West Ham to ‘compensate the underpayment’ for Rice.

Although tongue-in-cheek, Rice’s impact has been far from humorous, with only one player featuring in more minutes under Mikel Arteta this season, and the England international has already emerged as an early frontrunner for the PFA Player of the Year award.

While his composure in defence has perhaps been most pivotal to Arsenal – Rice has yet to pick up a booking despite boasting more tackles and interceptions than any of his teammates – the ex-West Ham captain’s leadership and determination going forward has single-handedly been the catalyst to a number of wins for his team.

Be it against Luton or his crucial strikes versus Chelsea and Manchester United, Rice has redefined the £100m footballer and surpassed his fellow centurions in the process while helping Arsenal push one step further to Premier League glory.

© ProShots - Declan Rice has been a revelation for Arsenal

Rice repaying transfer fee and faith shown by Arteta and Arsenal

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez also commanded fees in excess of £100m in 2023, while Rice’s transfer surpassed Jack Grealish’s British record move to Manchester City, but none have been as integral or impactful to their teams as the Arsenal man so far.

Rice was insistent on moving to Arsenal despite interest from City and his passion for the club has been clear and making him an instant fan favourite, having been heavily pursued by Arteta and director Edu for many years.

Indeed, the record move was sanctioned without much question following Arsenal’s Premier League collapse last season and Rice was touted to be one of the faces of the long-term project at the Emirates to help the Gunners take the next step.

Although it is still early into his Arsenal career, Rice is arguably playing the best football of his career while being the most integral player in Arteta’s team and a standout performer in the entire league.

Such an impact may be the only way to justify an astronomical transfer fee for some but if Rice can be the difference maker in a title push for Arsenal, supporters may need to raise more than £25m to compensate for the value brought to their team by a truly priceless addition.