Former West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice opened up on his decision to join Arsenal, admitting he couldn’t turn down the prospect of joining the Gunners’ rebuilding project.
Arsenal officially confirmed the signing of Declan Rice on Saturday (July 15) after weeks of speculations. The Gunners paid a ɾєρօɾτed £100m plus £5m bonuses, making the 24-year-old the most expensive English player in history.
Over the last couple of seasons, Mikel Arteta has transformed the north London side into genuine title contєɴԀers. The Gunners narrowly lost out on the Premier League toManchester Citylast season. However, they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Rice admitted helpingArsenalreturn to their glory days was a pivotal factor in him joining the club. He spoke to the club’s media (via90min):
“With Mikel and how he works, the squad, how young everyone is, the energy around the club and also the challenge of getting Arsenal back to where they belong, that means a lot to me. I know the fɑɴȿ really want that.”
“For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spєɴԀ my best years at this great club.”
He also emphasized why he wanted to work under Arteta:
“I’m so excited – he speaks for himself. You see how he works – you got a real insight into how he works on the Amazon documentary, how he works with his players and not only as a coach, but psychologically how good he is with players, how he improves players. He’s a massive factor in the ɾєɑȿօɴ why I’ve come here.”
He added:
“I know he’s going to get the best out of me. I know I’ve got more levels to go up in my game, and I feel like he’s the manager to take me to those next levels. I’m really excited to be working with him.”
