Jamie Carragher believes Declan Rice of Arsenal has been the Premier League’s most influential player this season.
Rice joined the Emirates from West Ham for a whopping £105 million in the summer, but has swiftly settled in to help Mikel Arteta’s men to the top of the table.
He’s already scored three late goals against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Luton, the latter of which sealed a dramatic 4-3 win on Tuesday night.
Carragher believes Rice, who has already created a lot of great moments in an Arsenal shirt, is worth every cent and has similar traits to former Manchester United captain Roy Keane.
“Declan Rice, at £105 million, is a bargain for Arsenal,” Carragher wrote in his weekly column for The Telegraph.
“I feel the same way about Rice that I felt about Roy Keane when he joined Manchester United for a British record fee in 1993 and Alan Shearer when he joined Newcastle United in 1996.
“He has been probably the most influential player in the Premier League this season, and every time I watch him, he reminds me of Keane. He has that same presence, and he has a passing ability that is incredibly underrated.’
Rodri of Manchester City has set the standard for holding midfielders in Europe in recent seasons.
The Spaniard was an almost constant in City’s Treble-winning squad last season and scored the game-winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. Carragher, on the other hand, has stated that he would prefer to play alongside Rice.
“There is no bigger compliment I can give to Rice than this: I would rather have him on my team than Rodri,’ Carragher continued.
“The Manchester City midfielder has been arguably the best player in the Treble-winning side, alongside Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva, and he scored the winner in the Champions League final. He is a brilliant player, but I would still rather have Rice.”
Rice has only been at Arsenal for a few months, but Carragher believes he will go on to lead the team and become a club legend.
He has also supported the 24-year-old to change the Gunners in the same way that Virgil van Dijk transformed Liverpool when he went to Anfield in 2018.
Since Van Dijk’s arrival, the Reds have won every major trophy available, with the Dutchman proving to be one of the club’s best signings despite initial doubts over his £75 million transfer fee.
Rice is considered similar by Carragher who believes he might be the difference maker in Arsenal’s quest for their first trophy since 2004.
He added, “As was always the case with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, it feels inevitable that Rice will one day captain Arsenal.
“I believe we will be talking about him as an Arsenal great in seven or eight years, and that his £105 million fee will look like a snip. Ultimately, he could be for Arsenal what Virgil van Dijk has been for Liverpool.
“Van Dijk cost £75 million, but after everything he has achieved at Anfield, that fee is rightly regarded as a bargain.
“With him in their team, Arsenal have a player who will become a club legend and a man who could bring the Premier League title back to north London.”
