‘Quite astonishing’… BBC pundit now makes U-turn over ‘ludicrous’ Arsenal decision

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Garth Crooks has now admitted that he was wrong about Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.

Declan Rice was once again exceptional on Sunday as Arsenal thrashed his former club West Ham United 6-0.

Rice racked up a goal and two assists at the London Stadium, in a performance that saw him utterly dominate the middle of the park. Arsenal fans lauded Rice after the match for his remarkable display.

However, it should be noted that the 25-year-old being one of the standout players on the pitch for Arsenal has become the norm this season. Since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in the recent summer transfer window, the England man has been in astonishing form. He instantly hit the ground running in north London and hasn’t looked back since. Rice is now viewed as being a man capable of leading Arsenal to greater glory in the future. 

That being said, it was something of a risk to bring the player to the club, simply due to the costs associated. Arsenal paid a club-record £105 million fee to prise Rice away from West Ham. Mikel Arteta will have been well aware that such a huge deal had the potential to backfire on him with devastating effect.

Garth Crooks makes Declan Rice U-turn

BBC pundit and former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks was certainly sceptical about the Gunners’ decision to invest so heavily in the midfielder. However, he now recognises the player’s elite quality. 

Discussing Rice in his most recent Team of the Week column, Crooks said, “I thought the price tag of £105m for Rice was ludicrous. The fact that Arsenal actually paid it was quite astonishing. After all, those sums of money are normally reserved for strikers scoring 20 goals a season. However, since the arrival of the former West Ham captain at the Emirates, he has looked imperious.” 

“Long gone are the extravagancies of Granit Xhaka, in exchange for a far more acceptable and even-tempered Rice, who is a far better footballer anyway. The ball he provided for Gabriel to head home was a peach, while his strike that put Arsenal 6-0 up was as good as they get. What is plain to see is that Rice has grown as a player since his arrival at Arsenal. He’s certainly playing for a better side and with better players, but he has acquired a confidence and authority that comes with it.”

Rice is certainly playing like someone full of confidence right now, and if the Gunners are to achieve their amis for this season then they will need him to remain fully fit and in form. Especially considering Arsenal are still without the injured Thomas Partey, they are hugely reliant upon Rice to remain available.