Frank Lampard has heaped praise on a member of Arsenal’s squad.
The Gunners sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table, a point clear of chasers Liverpool after seven matches.
Andrea Berta signed eight players over the summer, spending £250 million in the process, to provide Mikel Arteta with a deep squad that can compete on multiple fronts, and this approach appears to be paying off.
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and David Raya have started the new campaign in excellent form, but Lampard has highlighted another star he’s been impressed by.
Frank Lampard says Declan Rice is an ‘outstanding talent’
Arsenal signed Declan Rice for £100 million in the summer of 2023.
Arriving for such a significant price tag, it would’ve been reasonable for the midfielder to let the pressure of this get to him. It certainly hasn’t.
He’s over two years into his stay in North London, and the sum the Gunners paid is rarely brought up, as he continues to go from strength to strength.
Rice has started the new campaign brilliantly, opening his account for the season with a neat finish against his old club, West Ham, on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking on talkSPORT ahead of the upcoming international fixtures, former England midfielder Frank Lampard waxed lyrical about the Arsenal star.
“I think Declan Rice picks himself because he’s such an outstanding talent and what he’s done deservedly so, and he’s an all-rounder,” Lampard said.
“Finding the right player to play in the 10 is a difficult one. I think Anderson’s done really well coming in and playing and giving a nice balance and something new for us to see.”
Martin Zubimendi will be delighted with Frank Lampard’s evaluation of Declan Rice
Arsenal acquired Martin Zubimendi to accompany Rice in their midfield this summer.
The metronomic passer arrived from Real Sociedad with an impressive pedigree, and has hit the ground running in N5.
That said, his seamless adaptation to English football wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Rice, whose excellent form has made things easier in the middle of the park for the Spaniard.
Zubimendi will be delighted upon hearing Lampard’s comments on Rice, as this not only takes some of the pressure away from the new signing but also means there’s less of a burden on him in midfield.
Rice being an ‘all-rounder’ means he can do a lot of the hard-running and offensive work that Zubimendi is perhaps less capable of, enabling the Euro 2024 winner to focus on his key strengths in dictating the tempo of the game through his passing.
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