Mikel Arteta: Declan Rice can reach even greater heights with Arsenal

The Arsenal manager, who oversaw Rice's 100-million-pound move from West Ham, says he has always viewed the England international as a midfielder capable of thriving in a more advanced role, even though Rice produced some of his finest work in a deeper position during his time at the London Stadium.

Arteta revealed he cannot pinpoint a single performance that convinced him to pursue Rice, explaining that his belief stemmed from a long-held vision of how the 25-year-old could evolve within Arsenal's system.

"Probably a year or two ago, yes, but now being with him every single day, understanding and connecting with him in the way I have done, we are going to get more," Arteta said when asked if this is the best version of Rice.

"Because he wants more, the team knows him better, his role is growing around the team. The impact he has on the team, it's huge.

"I knew him for a long time [before signing] and I knew how he could evolve and change the team. He has certainly done it and probably improved on those expectations."

He added: "Obviously he was captain at West Ham. He comes here to a new club, a new environment and there were things already set, but he has earned the right to increase that role.

"To be more important, to be very present in everything we do, he's in the leadership group, which is very important.

"He's a real presence. He doesn't need to wear the armband to feel really connected, really powerful and really important in the team."

Over the past year, Rice has delivered a level of consistency that places him among the Premier League's outstanding performers, yet Arteta maintains there is still far more the midfielder can add to his game.

Sunday's encounter will also place Rice alongside Chelsea duo Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo, two of the league's most expensive signings.

The trio, each acquired for a nine-figure fee, represent more than 300 million pounds of midfield investment and have sparked ongoing debate over who is the superior player.

Rice himself added fuel to the discussion this week by admitting he voted for Caicedo in his 2024-25 team of the year. 

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