Former Arsenal academy striker, Jay Bothroyd, has hailed the club’s incoming star Declan Rice as a top player.
Bothroyd also urged Arsenal, under the leadership of manager Mikel Arteta, to sign two top-quality midfielders as they would compete in the UEFA Champions League next season.
Arsenal have reportedly agreed to a £100million plus £5million deal with West Ham United for Rice.
And Bothroyd believes the Englishman will be the perfect addition to Arteta’s squad, especially with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey reportedly close to leaving Emirates.
“Declan Rice is the man everyone is talking about. He’s going to be the most expensive British footballer of all time and Arsenal are getting a top, top player,” Bothroyd told Sporting News.
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“Personally, I didn’t feel like Rice was the be-all and end-all. £100 million on a defensive player who is not a goalscoring midfielder is a lot of money.
“With Granit Xhaka and possibly Thomas Partey leaving, you need to bring in two top-quality midfielders. In the Champions League, Arsenal are not going to be in a position where they can rotate like they did in the Europa League last year,” he said.
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David Ornstein reported in June that West Ham United had received a stunning £105 million bid from Arsenal for Declan Rice. The offer saw Manchester City pull out of the race after trying their luck with a £90 million bid.
However, despite having no other club in the race, Arteta and sporting director Edu have not yet managed to seal the deal. Recent reports suggest they are still in talks with West Ham United over the payment structure, and it is taking time.
The Athletic have added that the two clubs are close to an agreement. The latest development was the Hammers asking for the base fee to be paid in two years.
