Arsenal There are clear areas to address in the two transfer windows of 2023 when it comes to squad depth.
With this month’s failed attempt, the need for massive reinforcements has been prioritized Mikhailo Mudrik and signature Leandro Trossard. Central midfield is next on the agenda with a big drop-off between the first-choice three Martin Odegaard, Thomas Party and Granit Xhaka and Second string Joe rolls out as Mikel Arteta turns his side.
This is revealed in the club Planning a summer move for West Ham’s Declan RiceA move that would make sense for them on a few fronts.
Most importantly, be regular England Starter Rice, 24, will add to their depth in midfield. Mohammed Elneny Is a steady player, as his 93 Egypt caps suggest, but turns 31 in July Albert Sambi Lokonga, 23, often fails to make an impact in games. Conversely, rice will be more likely to compete for a starting position.
Arsenal have tried to strengthen their midfield over the last two summers Bids rejected for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz After 2022 Wolves showing interest in Ruben Neves A year ago.
The strategy in 2021 was to allow players under the age of 23 to grow at the club. This is the same window when 21-year-old Lokonga arrived from Anderlecht. But the next step in Arsenal’s development has become clear: recruit players in their mid-20s who add both quality and experience and are ready to make a real impact on their squad.
Gabriel Jesus25, and Oleksandr ZinchenkoNow 26 years old but 25 when he signed, this summer is an example.
Rice has turned 24 on January 14 187 Premier League appearances and captaincy West Ham to Europa League semi-final. On top of that, he started all of England’s matches at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
Before diving into how Rice’s traits will fit stylistically among the league leaders, some context is important.
The box-to-box role he usually plays in a pair Tomas Sucek Hasn’t been replicated at Arsenal for West Ham, but he has recently played as a No. 6 in a midfield three at club level and has a habit of doing so for England as well. Some of the strengths he displayed at West Ham will be transferable to how Arsenal play, but some of the demands on him may be different.
Rice’s biggest strengths are his athleticism and defensive awareness. Those will be needed, whether he is used in a box-to-box pairing or as a No. 6, especially at Arsenal.
As Tifo’s John McKenzie explained earlier this season, Arsenal’s “rest of defence” The full-backs are set to suffocate teams in their own half by leaving wide gaps when tucking in. Often, it will be the ball-side centre-back or number 6 who immediately pushes out to block counters when possession is lost.
This is where rice excels.
Take this example from September Premier League A trip to Everton, where West Ham are dispossessed when attacking. Domestic midfielder Alex Iwobi‘s first task is to play the ball to halfway, while his counterparts in claret and blue are still inside. Everton area.
After returning to position, the rice does not immediately sink. Instead, turn to engagement Neil Maupe On the ball, he looks for space that Everton will try to exploit (to the left of West Ham’s stretched defence). Amado Onana (Joe Rice ran to get into the position shown below) ready to join the attack.
He covers well, anticipates the pass and is ready to make his tackle when the ball reaches Onana, stopping the attack before it really starts.
As Arsenal become more dominant in games, the players’ ability to read the game in such situations will become more important.
It’s something Rice already does regularly and extends his tackles well out of time while leaving exposure in midfield.
He is the outfield player with the most recoveries (open balls recovered) in the Premier League this season (181, second only to Manchester City’s Rodri on 177 and Arsenal’s William Saliba on 156) and second for interceptions (32). Crystal Palace’s Czech Ducour (34).
What really sets him apart is what happens after He makes such an intervention.
away Manchester City Last season, he was already on the move as Jesus made his pass infield…
… and obstacles ahead Ilke Gundogan easily as a result.
His first instinct after winning possession is to drive forward, but with no support he does well to dribble away from pressure and push the ball forward.
West Ham can settle on the ball – something Arsenal have tried to do this season – rather than letting the game become a basketball game, you-have-an-attack-we-attack scenario.
If Rice senses an opportunity to push, however, he goes.
He did this against England France Last month in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, after winning the ball halfway, to counter-attack. Arsenal fans may also remember his run down the middle of the pitch against them in a 3-3 draw at the London Stadium in March 2021.
A strong player, English throws himself back to carry the ball forward. That may be the biggest difference stylistically between him (playing box-to-box) and Arsenal’s primary No.6 as Party is more of a distributor from that position.
Since the beginning of last season. Paddy has the highest total carrying capacity (1,032) and the highest total carrying distance (11,729 m). In the Premier League. Unsurprisingly, many of his progressive carries are in the middle third, with him doing more than the ball to move West Ham up the pitch. His tally of 556 in the Premier League since the start of last season ranks sixth but first among midfielders, while his 175 ranks seventh this term – again first among midfielders.
When the 24-year-old makes these runs, his close control often goes under the radar. Whether it’s shifting the ball quickly on the run or passing before taking a shot, or creating space for himself early off the dribble, it’s the area of his game that helps in those areas.
With Arsenal also using a box-to-box midfielder in Xhaka, he could also provide some tactical flexibility in terms of how that midfield is set up.
At first glance, what Rice does with the ball might lead to reservations when looking at him through an Arsenal lens.
He regularly finishes in the final third, 154 from 191 attempts (fifth-most in the Premier League this season), But these are switches to play at full-back opposite West Ham.
It seems to be his go-to option instead of playing through the lines, something Arsenal’s players do all over the pitch, but that doesn’t mean he can’t.
England put more emphasis on him by placing him at number 6, which is evident in that world cup Defeat of France.
Retrieving an open pass, Rice fired a fine forward ball Phil Foden.
When Foden bounces the ball back to him, he assesses the situation and drills a pass through a congested area of the pitch. Harry Kane (out of frame in the next screengrab).
Ken has it Jude Bellingham He runs away, but fails to get through his pass Borussia Dortmund Midfielder.
Twice in quick succession, Rice looked to advance the ball and found his man on both occasions. Not every pass he plays in an England shirt is like this, but the moments above show us that he can do it.
One aspect of Party’s game that has made him important this season is his resistance to the press. This was the key Martin Odegaard’s goal against Tottenham Hotspur This month he knocked three players out of the game with one touch. Whether that can be replicated by Rice, or any other Arsenal midfield target will be another question.
As with line breaking passes, this is not something Chawl does on a weekly basis but he has shown glimpses of it at the international level.
Again, the France game provides an example.
Harry Maguire He gets halfway there…
…Rice moves towards the ball but controls it on his back foot, opens up outside the spin.
Antoine Griezmann The first jumps into movement and Rice is able to drive into France’s half by surprise, before setting up an England attack on the right.
If Arsenal’s interest were to end in a transfer, Arteta would like these attributes to be more visible.
As far as goals go, Rice is logical for the Premier League leaders.
On the pitch, he excels in areas that not all midfielders can, while his limitations seem to be areas where they can be improved. Off the pitch, he fits Arsenal’s direction, with the ability to perform in the short term but improve in the long term.
January will certainly be too early for any concrete developments. Nevertheless, both players and clubs are close to their common goal of playing the game Champions League And find out what they will need at that level.
For Arsenal, that means a competitive squad with depth. This will be an opportunity for Rice to continue his game.
(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
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