ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop has said that he initially thought Declan Rice wasn’t worth the money that Arsenal paid to sign him but now he admits the midfielder is worth every penny.
Having been impressed by the Englishman’s performances during his time at West Ham United, Mikel Arteta opted to splash a whopping £105m fee to sign the 24-year-old last summer.
Rice’s impact at Arsenal has been excellent during the early stages of this season and he showed his class by scoring a stoppage-time winner for the North London club last night.
So, after defeating Luton Town, Arsenal have solidified their place at the top of the table. Arteta’s side have accumulated 36 points from 15 games, sitting five points ahead of the second-placed Liverpool.
Now, speaking on the ESPN FC show, Hislop has said that when reports emerged West Ham wanted a fee north of £65m to sell Rice, he thought it was too much and when Arsenal bought him for £105m, it felt like the Gunners overspent to purchase him.
Pundit lauds Rice
However, the pundit now states that having seen him play for Arsenal in recent times and his performance versus Luton has now made him believe that the North London club have done great business and the midfielder is worth every penny.
Hislop said:
“Declan Rice stepped up and I keep saying this when West Ham were Rice in the summer and the price started to go north of £65m, I did not think that Rice was worth that kind of money, the £105m or whatever it’s now gone, it eventually went for. Rice is worth every single penny.
“Whenever Arsenal have struggled, both ends of the park, defensively or offensively, Rice has somehow been the person that they’ve been able to call on. It really is incredible to watch this man play the game. He is such a talent.”
On the other hand, when Hislop’s colleague, Steve Nicol was asked whether Rice is a player – who is a dream for any coach, the Liverpool legend said that ‘absolutely’ and the midfielder always stands out on the field.
Rice is a world-class player and he has the quality to help his side achieve their lofty ambitions going forward. So, it is going to be interesting to see whether the midfielder can eventually guide Arsenal to win the title at the end of this season.
