Declan Rice: Page 23 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Declan Rice

Pepe LeFrits

I guess we're about to find out just how strong Arteta's connection with the player is.

KingslandBarge

Not ready to call this a wrap and consider us still ahead. However, I called this potentiality months ago. I don't think he's the exception to most players that want to reach the destination (trophies, honours) without caring too much about the journey (how much they contributed, their perceived value). That club is the one place I think any Southern-rooted player will have no issue moving to these days. Plus, he's going to start and be an important part of any team he moves to next, City included.
Pepe LeFrits Yep.
Just match the valuation this week please.

Clrnc

Pepe LeFrits Saw this and got a deja vu with the Mudryk deal. Arteta connection was very strong with him, personally convinced him and talked to him for over a year (very similar to Rice) then got forced to join another club. That was for political reasons but just had a similar feeling.

Anyway am I the only one not worried about this? Of course Gundogan leaving has made City come in for this but Rice is not that special to be that worried. He is a good player, that's about it. We have PLENTY of options in the market to buy. Just don't wait until Tonali, Barella, Caicedo etc all get snapped up by others and you lose out on Rice.

goon

One thing we do need is to get this sorted soon one way or another while the likes of Caicedo are still on the market.

Qwiss

goon exactly. Rice isn't a unicorn, there are other midfielders out there, we just need to get one of them. What we can't do is wait till everyone good has been snapped up.

QuincyAbeyie

goon You don't think he's good enough to start for City, or you think he'll start, but the fact that he'll start whilst having been an afterthought when signed is what should push him to come here? 😆

I hope you're right of course, but going to the best team in the world where he'll (in my opinion) get a starting spot isn't a bad career choice. There's a risk, but there's also the risk that we won't ever win the league while they definitely will, so it's not like we're a safe choice either.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

It's fine we have Lokonga.

HomeSteak

KingslandBarge

HomeSteak Interesting.Think our 2nd bid was rumoured at 75+15 over say 5 instalments. I'd like to think a third bid (if it goes in) needs to be decisive and not a marginal improvement.

Mirth

Big Willie well, with Gundogan leaving there’s a gap opening at City

It’s really, really hard to turn around a team that’s just won the treble

Daz

goon yeah cos that never happens 🤣

Gazza M

I'll be fucking pissed if he goes there. those dirtbags should be under a transfer ban on general principle

in any case, getting gazumped on a top target again will be a major blot on edus copy book. those 2 failed bids will not be looked upon kindly if we fumble this, especially having aggressively and unhesistantly spent 65m on havertz for reasons unknown

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Gazza M agreed. Edu needs to bounce if he fails in this one too.

QuincyAbeyie

Gazza M Especially not when we buy Havertz for 65m in between putting in bids we knew West Ham would decline.

Pepe LeFrits

QuincyAbeyie Especially not when we buy Havertz for 65m in between putting in bids we knew West Ham would decline.

They would have rejected our opening bid whatever value it was, imo

Mirth

Don’t think the Havertz bid had anything to do with it. You could just as easily argue we’ve been wasting time on Timber or Lavia or whoever

In reality West Ham knew City were interested and wanted to draw this out as long as possible. Even if City didn’t join the race, West Ham knew we were a willing buyer later on in the window anyway. Also West Ham’s issue wasn’t a £10m here or there but the fact that they wanted all payments in 2 instalments vs 4-5 instalments that we offered - that’s actually a pretty significant challenge

Mirth

Qwiss if Man City are this keen on him then it does feel like we’re losing on a big player

HomeSteak

Big Willie

HomeSteak both tweets within a space of 55 minutes.

HomeSteak

Mirth I don't think they are. He will be Kevin Philips nr 2 there (amazing how they can pay 50 mil for that guy, play him 10 games and then move on to the next back-up, a 100 mil one). He won't start every game, but it stops us from getting better and they have another great option in the middle of the pitch. But yeah, he is not pushin Rodri or Stones to the bench

Mirth

HomeSteak well, either way - if city are paying this much just to stop us from having him then that’s a sign too. They obviously know there’s other options on the market too

Also Phillips was injured for most of his first season so I’m not sure the comparison holds

Pepe LeFrits

Sounds like City are operating under similar valuations as us anyway. If we match their bid I agree with @goon, I think he'll choose us. City have already signed Kovacic and have Rodri already - don't think he'll risk going the way of Kalvin Phillips if Arteta's vision of Arsenal with him at the centre of it is an option.

Course, a 300k a week wage with all sorts of add ons from unrelated third party companies could make him change his mind

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