Done Deal: Sir Alex unhappy that Arsenal has signed the player he desperately wants Manchester United to sign

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Done Deal: Sir Alex unhappy that Arsenal has signed the player he desperately wants Manchester United to sign

Sir Alex Ferguson Would Have Signed Him Last Summer’ – Pundit drops Man United prediction

The former Arsenal and Everton striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, said the 23-year-old has been “nothing short of incredible” this season.

Speaking to Sky Sports (7 February), Moyes claimed Rice is worth more than £100million..

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After unexpectedly challenging Manchester City for the 2022-23 Premier League title until late in the season, they have now agreed a fee of £105million ($133m) for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, topping City’s £90m offer for him.

That was Arsenal’s third bid in this window for the England international. All have been well over their current record outgoing transfer fee of £72million for Nicolas Pepe in August 2019, and they represent a couple of things about the club’s approach to next season.

Firstly, Rice has always been Arsenal’s prime target. Secondly, manager Mikel Arteta’s constant rhetoric of needing to “nail the recruitment” this summer in press conferences has been understood and supported by the board — who have sanctioned what would be a record-breaking payment for a British player.

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The heights Arsenal are willing to go regarding the fee for Rice may confuse some but, from the club’s perspective, landing the West Ham captain in this window is essential.

Why? A number of factors have been clear with the evolution of their recruitment strategy over the past two summers. Moving from ‘Project Youth 2.0’ going into the 2021-22 season to signing experienced players in their mid-twenties this time last year was key to Arsenal raising their level.

Rice serves as a continuation of last summer’s strategy as a 24-year-old who has started all 12 of England’s games at the past two major tournaments, started 93 per cent (190) of his 204 league appearances for West Ham and driven them to win the Europa Conference League final last month.

Alongside all that, he is another player whose attributes lend themselves to more than one role, although the imminent signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea — who will likely fill the left-sided No 8 role for Arteta — would see Rice slot in as a No 6.

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With those parts of the jigsaw in mind, Rice is one of very few options with the attributes and quality to rival the league’s best in that role.

In a West Ham shirt, he has become increasingly a box-to-box midfielder, travelling forward with the ball, but still has the experience of playing a deeper role for both them and England. Rice’s defensive qualities (mostly his anticipation and timing of tackles) are what immediately stand out when watching him. That eye test marries up with the numbers: last season his true tackle win rate (denoting tackles plus challenges lost plus fouls committed) was the highest in the Premier League (69.9 per cent from 113 true tackles or 4.2 per 1,000 opposition touches) among central and defensive midfielders.

For context, paired with Tomas Soucek for most of last season at West Ham, Rice did not have to defend on his own in midfield but excelled when called upon. Everton’s Amadou Onana and Tyler Adams of Leeds United were in similar situations to Rice, as parts of a midfield ensemble for bottom-half teams. Onana had a 67 per cent true tackle win rate from 103 true tackles or 5.64 per 1,000 opposition touches while Adams had a 64.5 per cent true tackle win rate from 138 true tackles or 8.84 per 1,000 opposition touches.

Despite his dip in form in April, Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey did this part of his role well for most of last season.

In 33 appearances, he had a true tackle win rate of 58.3 per cent from 115 true tackles, or 8.12 per 1,000 opposition touches. That often fed into Arsenal’s ability to play a high line and dominate teams by keeping the ball in the attacking half whether they had possession or not. Again for comparison, Manchester City’s Rodri had a slightly lower true tackle win rate of 56.4 per cent from 117 true tackles or 7.47 per 1,000 opposition touches.

In a different area of midfield, Rice will be counted on more but his previous success rate bodes well. Extra security further back down the pitch may also give Arsenal’s more advanced midfielders even greater freedom than they enjoyed last season, which could work nicely with Havertz’s off-ball movement or the inclusion of Emile Smith Rowe in a more central role.

What happens with Rice in possession as an Arsenal player is a bit more of an unknown.

Some may see that as a risk with a signing for a fee north of £100million who, like many of Arteta’s squad, will be stepping into the Champions League for the first time.

Rice has been more likely to switch the ball to the wings with West Ham, which could be useful with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka out wide. Arsenal are more accustomed to their No 6, whether that is Partey or last January’s signing Jorginho, feeding vertical passes through the lines. Rice did this at times for England at the World Cup in November and December, but becoming more progressive as well as measured at the right times to allow Arsenal time to breathe in certain matches — for example, Jorginho in the 2-0 away win at Newcastle United in early May — is a potential area for growth.

For more considered periods of possession, patience may be needed if they are asking Rice to replicate what Partey has done in that role for the past two seasons. Arsenal’s pursuit of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber could help matters, however. Last season, Ben White did not invert from right-back to the same extent Oleksandr Zinchenko did at left-back. White occasionally offered that support inside, but tended to stay in the same line as centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel in build-up before venturing forward to either overlap or underlap Saka.

If Timber signs to fill in at right-back with a slightly different interpretation of the role to White, in which he inverts like Zinchenko so Rice would have options either side of him as well as through the lines, that could provide more interesting developments for Arsenal’s play.

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Arsenal’s last two summer windows have been all about squad building. This one is no different. Now though, they are at a stage where adding multiple quality options at the same position is necessary to push further than they did last season while also bringing more variety to their game.

Rice is a key ingredient to Arsenal elevating themselves in both regards. Arteta knew it, sporting director Edu Gaspar knew it and that is why they have pushed so hard.

Arsenal do not want last season to be a one-off, and getting this close to signing up their primary target before July starts probably outlines that it won’t be.

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Man United, Man City and Chelsea are widely reported to be interested in signing the centre-midfielder this summer.

The England international’s contract at the London Stadium runs until the summer of 2024.

Campbell believes Rice would already be a Man United player if Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge at Old Trafford.

“I agree with Moyes,” he told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs.

“This season he has been nothing short of incredible. He has been absolutely incredible. In a time where lots of England players have struggled after the Euros, he has been outstanding. He is just getting better and better.

“Given his age, he could boss a Manchester United midfield for the next 10 years. Rice is the type of player Sir Alex Ferguson would have jumped all over. He would have had him last summer, let alone this summer. Obviously things have changed at Manchester United though.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to West Ham because they are going for the Champions League. But I think somebody with the right money can get Rice out of there this summer.

“I think a bid over £100million would be too much for West Ham to turn down.”

In other news, a pundit has lambasted one ‘shocking’ West Ham star who turns slow than an ’80-year-old’.