Declan Rice now claims Arsenal move ‘couldn’t have gone any better’ after difficulty

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Declan Rice joined Arsenal for a club-record, and then-British record transfer fee in the summer, and expectations were huge.

The midfielder captained West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in his final game, after which Arsenal fiercely battled Manchester City for his signature.

A bidding war ensued, but Mikel Arteta managed to entice Rice into joining his side over the treble-winners, and a fee of £105m was spent to bring him in.

A transfer of this size for one of the best midfielders in the Premier League would naturally come with a lot of pressure, and players elsewhere have struggled to cope with the difficulty of such a big move and the intense need to deliver immediately. However, Rice adapted instantly, and has now spoken about his first season at the club.

Declan Rice delighted with Arsenal start

Speaking at the London Football Awards, during which he was awarded the Player Of The Year for what he has done at both his clubs in the last 12 months, Rice admitted that the move could have been difficult, but he has coped with it well.

So far it couldn’t have gone any better. To move to such a big club for such a big price, I’ve really tried to just get my head down, be myself and just embrace it,” he stated.

“We’re now in March and the season has flown by. We’ve got a big end of the season to go, but I’m really enjoying my time (at Arsenal) so far.”

How good has Declan Rice been since his arrival at Arsenal?

Rice settled instantly, and was the player of the match in his second league game away at Crystal Palace this season.

He quickly became a hit amongst the fans, and has helped transform Arteta’s team defensively, whilst also contributing in attack.

Rice has scored four times, including two last-minute winners against Manchester United and Luton Town, whilst also proving deadly on set pieces with five assists.

His work at the back has helped Arsenal form the best defence in the Premier League, whilst his ability on deadball situations has made Arsenal the most threatening set-piece side as well.

Rice has not been able to play alongside Thomas Partey due to injury, whilst there was constant rotation around him between Jorginho, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Emile Smith Rowe. However, his consistency no matter who was alongside him has meant that he has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season, and it has been the perfect start for him.