Declan Rice is widely viewed as one of Arsenal’s most valuable players.
The England international has been sensational since arriving from West Ham United and has established himself as one of the best midfielders in world football.
That is why most Arsenal supporters would probably assume Rice sits on par with Bukayo Saka when it comes to the club’s highest-valued players.
However, new data from CIES Football Observatory have produced a few surprises, with two unexpected Arsenal stars valued more highly than the midfielder.
Fill the blanks: The year is 2030 and Declan Rice is now worth £____.
Two surprise Arsenal players are valued higher than Declan Rice
CIES Football Observatory have released its latest list of the most valuable football players in the world right now.
As expected, Saka leads the way among Arsenal players.
The winger has been given a market valuation of €111.2 million (£96.2m), which feels entirely justified considering his age, consistency and importance to the club.
William Saliba is next among Arsenal’s defenders at €97.4 million (£84.3m), which is a figure that is unlikely to shock anyone either.
The Frenchman is regarded as one of the best centre-backs on the planet and would probably cost considerably more than that if Arsenal ever decided to sell him.
The real surprise comes when you look at the names ranked above Rice.
The Arsenal midfielder has been valued at just €76 million (£65.7m), which feels remarkably low given the level he has been performing at over the last two seasons.
Not only is Saliba ahead of him, but so are Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.
The Swede has been assigned a valuation of €98.5 million (£85.2m), while the former Chelsea winger is valued at €79.9 million (£69.1m).
Few Arsenal supporters would have predicted either player being ranked above Rice, which makes this one of the more surprising findings in the report.
How much are these five Arsenal players really worth according to you?
Declan Rice is worth far more than £65.7m
Market value models are useful, but they are not always perfect.
In Rice’s case, it is difficult to look at that £65.7 million figure and conclude it reflects his true value to Arsenal.
The midfielder has been one of the best players in the Premier League since joining the club and was a huge reason why the Gunners won the title.
He is also entering his prime years, rarely gets injured and has become one of the leaders of Mikel Arteta’s dressing room.
If Arsenal ever put Rice on the market, there is simply no chance they would accept anything close to £65.7 million for him. They wouldn’t even entertain a fee twice as much as that.
That is why this data should probably be viewed as an interesting talking point rather than a reflection of what one of Arsenal’s players of the season would actually cost.
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