Speaking about why he joined Arsenal and the role Mikel Arteta played in convincing him, Declan Rice said: “I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been going on.
“Not last season but the season before, they finished fifth but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing. Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with the exception of Man City.
“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 fans really want that. For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spend my best years at this great club.
“I’m so excited (to work with Mikel) - 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 reason why I’ve come here.
“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.”
It’s clear that Arteta played a key role in bringing Rice to Arsenal and convince him to join the Gunners over Man City. The Englishman will look to quickly adapt himself to the change in environment and soar for Arsenal from the get-go.
