Declan Rice | signs for arsenal

[Offside]

Convinced Kovacic is better than him and Bellingham. English players price tags are ridiculous.

 

[Lash]

Never going to be worth what is needed to get him.

 

[glazed]

"United are looking at a summer budget of £100m"

That's just the Glazer budget surely.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

Never going to be worth what is needed to get him.

exactly. The price to get rice is going to be crazy. Can we really not find a similar talent for like half the price? What the hell do we even pay a scouting department for?

 

[mu4c_20le]

I think he is going to replace Casemiro actually. Maybe not immediately but eventually.

 

[Bebestation]

If Casemiro wants to leave this would be my replacement.

 

[Mibabalou]

Need to spend most if not all our kitty on attackers.

 

[cheekybackheel]

It's a no from me. I've never seen enough from him that convinces me he's world class and worth the money West Ham would want for him. He's overhyped.

This is the sort of transfer we've made in the past and ends up being a dud like Maguire.
Or we go after him, offer £60m and West Ham say no and add the Man Utd tax and want £85m. We then pursue it for the entire transfer window only for it to fall through and he ends up at Chelsea for £60m.

Would avoid at all cost.

 

[Ekeke]

That'll make it like 5 summers in a row then.

Underrated with the ball. Good passer and dribbler despite not having flamboyant technique. I'd certainly take him but only at a reasonable price given there are other options

 

[witchtrials]

If it turns out our scouts' two top suggestions for improving our squad this summer are Harry Kane and Declan Rice I will lose my fecking mind

 

[VWW]

If Casemiro wants to leave this would be my replacement.

Are you speaking hypothetically or is this based on some recent transfer news?

 

[FerociousCorgis]

Are you speaking hypothetically or is this based on some recent transfer news?

i mean there was the brief article on apparently tuchel wanting casemiro to go to bayern or whatever. I guess if you said it would be a straight budget swap of case to there because he wants to leave and then bring in rice to replace him id understand. 0.01 percent chance of that being what happens though

 

[Isotope]

He’s a really good player. I think he’d be excellent alongside Casemiro, really, really solid, and anyone that looks at his progressive passing stats for the last two seasons will know that he is very good at getting the ball forward. He would be a very good number 8 for us. That said, my preference would be to play a different way, and get in an 8 that has a greater weighting towards playmaking and ball retention than Rice does. A player in the Modric role. Nicolo Barrella springs to mind.

But what Rice gives us is essentially two players in one. He can play very well as that 8, lending more defensive solidity but being a true box to box to link the DM and AM, but he is also a true 6 replacement too. And when Casemiro is unavailable, we still have a viable midfield. If we sign a playmaking 8, we still need an understudy for Casemiro. Combine the costs for those two and it may come to around the same or more than one Rice. So I see the logic in this.

Whatever happens, the budget is going to have to be supplemented by outgoings.

That's my thinking also. Although his 80-100m tag is a massive stumbling block for us.

 

[bosnian_red]

Doubt it. Also, would make sense before casemiro. Doesn't make sense now that we have casemiro.

 

[Abraxas]

I think he could play with Casemiro fine. It would allow him to drive forward. That was the most impressive part of his game when he played against us, mainly in the second half. It probably does lack a little on the passing side, but there would also be many games where we'd want to rest Casemiro next year. I think Casemiro is entering the "managed games" portion of his career. I don't see a physique or ability to get around the pitch and cover spaces that is going to last the distance in 4 competitions next year. I'm not saying he's a pensioner yet, but we should probably be proactive about that situation, not waiting for it to get ugly.

Whether it's a good use of 80 million, I'm not sure. If we had huge sums to spend I would say yes because he's a really good player, but as it is, I don't think it's the best idea. Trying to develop somebody for a lesser fee would fit our budget.

 

[aeh1991]

Would you take him for 50m plus Maguire? (and would THEY take Maguire tho?)

 

[simonhch]

That's my thinking also. Although his 80-100m tag is a massive stumbling block for us.

Agreed on the fee. But I suspect 80m odd broken up into 4 installment. I could also see McTominay going in the other direction. He would fit them, and potentially reduce the fee by 30m ish. Doubts over whether he’d consent to the move but he’d be playing every week so that’s a plus.

The objection that a team can’t be creative and score goals with a 6 and a defensive leaning 8 is also a bit of a misnomer. Just look at Arsenal. No one can tell me that Partey and Xhaka is a progressive, technical duo as I am told we need. I think Casemiro and Rice has a lot more to offer progressively than that duo too, and it’s been the bedrock of Arsenal’s season.

I think Rice, Casemiro, Sabitzer, Eriksen and Bruno is a very well balanced midfield stable that covers every position. I’d expect McT to move on, and you still have Fred and VdB one of whom can play a squad role. The other probably has to go.

 

[Speedicut75]

Would you take him for 50m plus Maguire? (and would THEY take Maguire tho?)

I think Moyes certainly would. Just the ticket for copious amounts of head ping-pong.

 

[SAFMUTD]

We dont learn do we? same shit over and over again

 

[lex talionis]

The bid must be very carefully prepared, years if need be.

 

[pascell]

Rather invest the funds in two CMs instead of Rice.

Think the link is bs anyway, we're not splurging on a ST and a CM this summer.

 

[Isotope]

Agreed on the fee. But I suspect 80m odd broken up into 4 installment. I could also see McTominay going in the other direction. He would fit them, and potentially reduce the fee by 30m ish. Doubts over whether he’d consent to the move but he’d be playing every week so that’s a plus.

The objection that a team can’t be creative and score goals with a 6 and a defensive leaning 8 is also a bit of a misnomer. Just look at Arsenal. No one can tell me that Partey and Xhaka is a progressive, technical duo as I am told we need. I think Casemiro and Rice has a lot more to offer progressively than that duo too, and it’s been the bedrock of Arsenal’s season.

I think Rice, Casemiro, Sabitzer, Eriksen and Bruno is a very well balanced midfield stable that covers every position. I’d expect McT to move on, and you still have Fred and VdB one of whom can play a squad role. The other probably has to go.

Xhaka and Partey could work, because their wide players in Martinelly and Saka are creative players, plus of course Odegaard. We don't have that. But it's for EtH to figure it out.

Also it's interesting that against Newcastle, Arsenal opted for Xhaka and Jorginho in midfield and Arsenal didn't get over run by Newcastle's.

 

[mikeyt]

If we sign Caicedo, Kane, a GK and a RB first and still have £80million kicking about then sure I'm game.

 

[jesperjaap]

A fe overhyped and over priced comments which I can understand, on the latter one for sure anyay.....just refreshing that post covid the general comment on here isnt he is very similar and no better than McTominay, believe me that was pretty much the standard comment, didnt age well that one.

I think he would be a fantastic signing and isnt overhyped as a player. I actually think the England set up restricts him and so has West Ham until the last season or so, is much more to his game. Isnt technically superb, but his weight of pass and intelligence and drive is very good. He could definately play alongisde Casemeiro.

Only two reasons we dont sign him 1) He doesnt actually fit the profile I think Ten Hag wants in that position 2) The obvious one and the only reason I wouldnt sign him, the price. If we only needed 1/2 signings not as big a deal, but we need 3x that amount, so really £100m on any players isnt feasible to me no matter who.

I disagree with some people saying he woudl be a typical overpriced signing liek Maguire and be a dud. No, he would be the kind of signing we have made (and not saying as good as some of these players), but the periods we paid English transfer records for the likes of RObson, Cole, Keane and turn them into stars....he is a signing we should have made 3/4seasons ago, the time when people didnt want him as McTominay was supposedly better

 

[Powderfinger]

Agreed on the fee. But I suspect 80m odd broken up into 4 installment. I could also see McTominay going in the other direction. He would fit them, and potentially reduce the fee by 30m ish. Doubts over whether he’d consent to the move but he’d be playing every week so that’s a plus.

The objection that a team can’t be creative and score goals with a 6 and a defensive leaning 8 is also a bit of a misnomer. Just look at Arsenal. No one can tell me that Partey and Xhaka is a progressive, technical duo as I am told we need. I think Casemiro and Rice has a lot more to offer progressively than that duo too, and it’s been the bedrock of Arsenal’s season.

I think Rice, Casemiro, Sabitzer, Eriksen and Bruno is a very well balanced midfield stable that covers every position. I’d expect McT to move on, and you still have Fred and VdB one of whom can play a squad role. The other probably has to go.

Partey is much more of a DLP than Casemiro. He looks to get on the ball much more, completes passes at a much higher rate, and also makes more progressive passes. Casemiro is better at pretty much everything else but that's a bit beside the point. Odegaard is also a very technically secure player as the third in a three man midfield. And then in possession Arsenal very frequently move Zinchenko, another highly technical player, into midfield to make a box. You can carry a guy like Xhaka (or Rice) in that context because the other three corners of the box are serious technicians and passers.

I don't see Rice next to Casemiro working at all. Throw a high-risk/high-reward attacking midfield player like Bruno into the mix and its an even more volatile group in terms of technical security and passing.

 

[skc_18]

We don't learn at all. At this point we are literally laughing stock and we deserve it if we pay 80m for him.
If we are spending 80m I would prefer it is on Kane. Atleast Kane can make difference in getting goals against low-level teams.

 

[izak]

God please feck no

 

[TheRedHearted]

English media gassing up their English players, all while United have this budget and spend threshold that has be around 150M net the past few season, give or take.

Unless Casemiro is sold for 60M or something, Rice won't be signed by United and thank feck.

Fred for 20-25
McTominay for 15-20
VDB for 10

about slotting youngsters in for backup, Eriksen and sabitzer staying on puts us at
Casemiro
Rice on a double pivot with Bruno or Eriksen or sabitzer on the final midfield spot
To me it’s a midfield that could break up a lot of play in the center especially when teams play either five in the midfield or scenarios in the past couple of years when we have been over run in midfield.

 

[Irwin99]

Well, he is a quality player. Assuming Casemiro is staying, I guess Rice will play as more of a B2B (and we have quite a few of those already, not that many of them are actually very good) with Bruno being the most advanced forward.

It'd be a very good midfield, I just wonder if it could dominate the big matches enough.

 

[I’m loving my life]

In:
Kane for £150 mil 400k pw
Rice for £100 mil 350k pw parity with Sancho
Ward-Prowse £30 mil 200k pw
Maddison £60 mil 300k pw
Pickford £40 mil 250k pw

keep Maguire because he’ll feel more at home

Out:
Bailey £2.5 mil pay half his wages
Williams £750k pay 75% of wages
Jones give him 5 mil for good service
Tzunzebe £1 mil pay 50%

 

[Stadjer]

In:
Kane for £150 mil 400k pw
Rice for £100 mil 350k pw parity with Sancho
Ward-Prowse £30 mil 200k pw
Maddison £60 mil 300k pw
Pickford £40 mil 250k pw

keep Maguire because he’ll feel more at home

Out:
Bailey £2.5 mil pay half his wages
Williams £750k pay 75% of wages
Jones give him 5 mil for good service
Tzunzebe £1 mil pay 50%

Brexit Fc! Sack ten Hag and hire Southgate too

 

[Zoo]

As it stands we use Bruno and Eriksen as 8’s which is a bit too lightweight and leaves Casemiro with far too much work to do. An all-action 8 would be useful, Rice can do that with a view to taking over Casemiro’s role in a few years. But of course there are other problem positions that badly need addressing too.

 

[DOTA]

Think there other positions we need more and there are other teams in need of Rice more, so doesn't strike me as the best idea.

 

[edcunited1878]

Brexit Fc! Sack ten Hag and hire Southgate too

So so bad....need a waistcoat room. An all English core of good but overhyped players who aren't winners nor good enoug except for Kane...yikes.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Ah, silly season is upon us.

The beat Manchester United to X player narratives are being spun.

 

[simonhch]

Partey is much more of a DLP than Casemiro. He looks to get on the ball much more, completes passes at a much higher rate, and also makes more progressive passes. Casemiro is better at pretty much everything else but that's a bit beside the point. Odegaard is also a very technically secure player as the third in a three man midfield. And then in possession Arsenal very frequently move Zinchenko, another highly technical player, into midfield to make a box. You can carry a guy like Xhaka (or Rice) in that context because the other three corners of the box are serious technicians and passers.

I don't see Rice next to Casemiro working at all. Throw a high-risk/high-reward attacking midfield player like Bruno into the mix and its an even more volatile group in terms of technical security and passing.

But you have Casemiro and Rice alongside each other, Casemiro who by the way poses much more of a goal threat with his aerial ability and shooting from range than Partey, and you put Eriksen in front of them, a true technical playmaker, and then Bruno out right, and you mitigate all those problems.

I am not saying that’s the approach one should take, and I am also fully aware that players need to be looked at in the context of the whole team dynamic. I also think that the argument that Casemiro and Rice can’t play together, and play together well, is a demonstrable misnomer. In an earlier post, I also highlighted that my preference was for a player like Barrella over Rice, but I can also see the logic in getting Rice as he covers two positions.

 

[Brophs]

He'll end up playing really well at a top club, whether that be us or elsewhere.

 

[Pirlo'sBeard]

Good player but overpriced.

 

[Conor]

Does not seem like the midfielder Ten Hag would want.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Maybe wishful thinking, but could see a deal with Maguire going the other way.