Why would you imagine that?
The odds on us nailing both midfield signings was always going to be low. Everyone in the top 6 bought a midfielder or two this summer and no club has had a resounding 100% success rate. Rice is arguably the best capture of the lot with Maddison arguably just ahead. Havertz no doubt one of the worst, but hey Tonali is banned for almost a year and Caicedo is playing like a drunkard.
Tonali being banned for gambling isn't something the club should've done different at the time of making the signing. Same with us and Partey.
I'm not disputing that, rather the immediate outcome of him being signed would have been his suspension for the entire season.
Think Tonali and Havertz are about the same level. The player we should have signed in hindsight is Szoboszlai. The player we should have signed in foresight is MacAllister.
If we want Douglas Luiz again, and we wanted him in the 2022 summer window then we should have just signed him instead of Havertz, his stock was about as low as it was gonna get in the summer.
Phenom
Colossus
Best Arsenal signing since Sol without a doubt
Rice thread on the transfer forum is comedy central
No - one in their wildest dreams thought he was gonna to be this good.
I really, really wish we had Rice as Vieria’s replacement back in the day.
Rice rice baby
He's great at what he's great at but again putting him at the pivot means we do not move the ball forward quickly and crisply enough.
We still badly miss Partey there and our football won't be fluid again until he's back or we sign someone who can fill the role.
Let Rice be the Xhaka upgrade he's made for.
Sicario2 - Tier 1 you just had to see him for England to get an idea of his abilities, covers so much ground and as technically sound as you can get and also has a top attitude.
Gunner89 I've been amusing myself with a Scott Parker comparison after that non-goal a week ago. Dared not say anything until now 
World class. Monster.
I always knew he was good at ball-winning and covering the pitch but his ball retention is something else. He can definitely play more adventurously passing wise but I think he's told to be more conservative.
Gunner89 yep he’s very capable of it. Also able to surge in to the box and finish. He’s playing how Arteta wants him to.
Top tier player.
Qwiss Yeah I like him at both 6 and 8. He is a defensive machine but not a controller 6 and hardly plays passes through lines. Personally think we should buy a 6 to replace Jorginho and a proper box to box 8 to replace Partey. Rice continues to play both positions depending on opposition.
Havertz can stay as reliable versatile rotation and then keep 1 of Vieira and Smith-Rowe.
I love how you spend other people's money
