Carlton Cole says Arsenal have a player who’s better than Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland

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Carlton Cole believes a member of Mikel Arteta’s squad at Arsenal is one of the top three players in world football right now.

The Gunners have assembled an outstanding assortment of players in recent years, with Arteta now boasting an embarrassment of riches.

This ensemble was bolstered significantly over the summer, as Andrea Berta spent £250 million on eight new recruits.

The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes all can stake reasonable claims for being in the elite bracket of footballers worldwide, although Cole has singled out a different Arsenal star for this category.

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Carlton Cole says Declan Rice is in the top three best players in world football

Declan Rice has established himself as one of the best midfielders in world football at Arsenal.

Arriving from West Ham as an excellent Premier League player, the England international has ascended to new levels in North London in recent years.

Rice won back-to-back Man of the Match awards for the Gunners in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid last term, with these performances helping him garner more recognition on the continent.

While not many would dispute the 26-year-old’s position as one of the most complete midfielders on the planet, not many would put him in their top three players in general either.

Former West Ham striker Cole has, however. Speaking to ESPN on TikTok, the former number nine named Rice ahead of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Asked who the three best players in the world are, Cole responded: “Lamine Yamal, I’m going to say. Declan Rice, he’s my guy, and I’ve got to go Harry Kane.”

Declan Rice’s statistics 2024/25

Rice went to a level he’s never reached before in 2024/25.

Previously a defensive midfielder who was capable of driving forward from deeper areas with the ball, the £100 million signing improved drastically in the final third last season.

As shown by the data above, Rice’s output in attacking areas improved tenfold, contributing to eleven goals in the league alone.

Creating almost two chances per 90 minutes, whilst also progressing the ball at an elite rate and doing plenty of defensive work, there’s almost nothing Rice can’t do.

Cole’s suggestion may actually not be too outlandish.