Declan Rice’s swift acclimatisation at the Emirates following his club-record 105 million pound ($130.12 million) signing during the offseason has been complimented by Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal.
Since joining Arsenal in July from West Ham United, Rice has impressed in centre midfield, playing every minute of the Gunners’ Premier League campaign thus far. He also had the opportunity to train with the club throughout the preseason.
The 24-year-old scored a late winner against old rivals Manchester United earlier this month, making him an immediate star and winning Arsenal’s Player of the Month title for August.
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“You always hope that transition is going to be smooth and fast, but sometimes the reality is very different,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s league trip to Everton.
“In his case it has been really positive, he’s finding it really easy.
“He understood the team, our way of playing really, really fast and things are going well for him.”
While Rice has gotten settled at Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe, who was their previous record acquisition and cost them 72 million pounds in 2019, has moved on after the club terminated his contract.
In 2020, Pepe contributed to Arsenal’s FA Cup victory, but under Arteta, his playing time quickly became constrained. After 112 games and 27 goals for Arsenal, he left the club and signed for Trabzonspor on a free transfer.
“I wasn’t involved in that deal but what I can say about him as a person is that he’s a phenomenal boy, he tried really hard. It’s not his fault the amount of money that we paid at the time,” Arteta said.
“When things are not working out, you have to move on… That decision was made and I think it was for the benefit of both parties.”
Despite worries about a potential Achilles injury, Arteta stated that winger Bukayo Saka “trained normally.” The Spaniard also stated that Arsenal is aiming to extend the contract of captain Martin Odegaard, whose current term expires in June 2025.
“He’s our captain, he’s a massive player for us. He’s really important for now and the future. We want to keep him here for a long time,” Arteta said. “I’m always optimistic. We’re really close (to a new deal) with him and his agent.”