Mikel Arteta has signed over 30 players since he took charge of Arsenal.
The Spaniard was appointed as Unai Emery’s replacement in December 2019, and over the last five years, he has brought in several excellent players.
Martin Odegaard has been brilliant for Arsenal, as has Gabriel Magalhaes at the back. David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League right now, and he was brought in by Arteta too even though many people told him not to sign him.
However, Arteta’s best-ever signing is a different player, and there can be no debate on that topic.
The one stat that proves Declan Rice is Mikel Arteta’s best signing ever at Arsenal
Arsenal signed Declan Rice for a club-record fee in the summer of 2023.
The Gunners’ previous record signing was Nicolas Pepe, and unfortunately for the Ivorian, things did not work out for him at the Emirates Stadium.
That must have been on the minds of the decision-makers at Arsenal when Arteta asked them to break the bank for Rice, but those fears were thrown out of the window almost immediately.
The England international has been worth every penny at Arsenal – if anything, he has been a bargain. He has barely ever had a bad game for the Gunners and his latest performance was absolutely stunning.
Rice ran the show against Manchester City. It was one of the best midfield displays we’ve seen in a long, long time.
Arsenal battered the champions 5-1, and with that, Rice continued his incredible record against the big teams in the Premier League.
Since joining the Gunners in 2023, Rice has played 16 times against the rest of the traditional big six, and he hasn’t lost a single game against any of them. He has been incredible in almost every one of those fixtures too.
For years, Arsenal struggled against the big sides, but with Rice in the middle of the park, they look like they can beat anyone. That is what makes him Arteta’s best-ever signing.
Arsenal need a Rice-like signing at striker and one player checks the box
Rice is the best midfielder in the Premier League right now.
The Englishman has been world-class as a six as well as in a box-to-box role, but people are still not giving him the credit he deserves. That’s perhaps why Jamie Carragher called him ‘vastly underrated‘.
Arsenal need to make a signing like that up front. There are no guarantees in football, but a striker of the level of Rice will almost guarantee the Premier League title.
We think Alexander Isak could be that player for Arsenal this summer. He will cost a lot of money, but so did Rice and look how well that has worked out.
Arsenal owners Stan and Josh Kroenke owe a signing like Isak to Arteta after not bringing anyone in during the winter window.
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