Declan Rice says £6m Arsenal player possesses one incredible trait that he wishes he had

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Declan Rice is one of the most complete footballers on the planet.

The Englishman joined the Gunners from West Ham United for a club-record fee in the summer of 2023. He has been an amazing player for Mikel Arteta and has made the North Londoners so much stronger.

Rice is good on the ball, is a brilliant passer and his ability in set-pieces has taken Arsenal to a whole new level. Out of possession, the midfielder is incredible as well – he is arguably the best in the Premier League alongside Rodri.

Even though Rice is an incredibly complete footballer, there is one trait that his teammate possesses that he wishes he could add to his game.

Declan Rice wants to add Gabriel Martinelli’s incredible trait to his own game

Arsenal signed Gabriel Martinelli for just £6 million from Ituano in Brazil in 2019.

Nobody had really heard of the attacker, but Martinelli hit the ground running in the famous red and white and became a fan favourite under Unai Emery.

The Brazilian is a terrific footballer. On his day, he can destroy any full-back in the world, which is why Arteta has continued to keep faith in him even during the difficult times.

Martinelli’s teammates rate him very highly too.

Arsenal released a video where several players were asked to choose a trait from one of their teammates that they would like to have in their own game.

Bukayo Saka picked Gabriel Magalhaes’ heading, but Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho and Leandro Trossard all wanted something that Martinelli possesses – his speed.

“Martinelli’s pace,” said Rice in the video.

Where does Martinelli rank among the Premier League’s fastest players?

Arsenal have quite a few quick players in their squad, but Martinelli is the fastest of them all.

In the 2024/25 season, the Brazil international has clocked a top speed of 35.6km/h, which is absolutely rapid.

That makes him the fifth-fastest player in the entire Premier League, according to GMS.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest and Carlos Forbs of Wolves rank in the three places above Martinelli.

The fastest player in the Premier League, if you’re still wondering, is Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur.