Forget value, Arsenal wanted a statement

The Gunners are paying the (p)rice to enter a new era

So…how’s that for pushing the boat out?

Depending on your attention span and general level of anxiety, what became the likely Declan Rice deal went from looking like an early lock to a City hijacking and back again nearly daily.

In the end, Arsenal committed fully to the man they see leading the new era of Arsenal Football Club, one built not on shady dealings, off-pitch controversies and kids playing in the Europa League, but rather an era of Champions League football at The Emirates, long term commitments to reliable players, and (hopefully) repeated title charges.

By cementing a deal that could total £105m, less Declan Rice’s wages, Arsenal have eschewed any concept of “value” or financial thrift. And that’s not a necessarily bad thing; that was the point. Yes, this signing is about getting the player Mikel Arteta sees anchoring his midfield. But at its base, it’s an overpay.

It may not be a record (still Enzo), but more than £100m for a midfielder, as many have said, is pretty crazy. It’s nearly 50% higher than Arsenal’s previous record fee. 50%! That’s half a Pépé!

Assuming Declan Rice comes in on £200,000 per week (probably conservative, I could see 250), he costs nearly 33% more than Arteta’s previous most expensive signing, Gabriel Jesus, in terms of total annualized expense. (Here’s where I note that Kai Havertz is about £2m per year more than Jesus, if he truly is on £210k per week).

If Declan, or Kai for that matter, don’t work out, Arsenal could be left holding a pretty huge bag. With more upwardly mobile talent around them than the club’s last record signing, that’s less of a concern, but it remains a concern nonetheless. But in making this deal, KSE have signaled some sort of “we’ll handle whatever happens” ambition.

And while he’s drawn comparisons aplenty to Enzo, one thing about Rice is that he checks so many of the boxes you look to check as you assess your financial risk.

Rice, despite still being only 24, just wrapped his sixth season in the Premier League. The last five have included 30+ starts, and over that time, his performance has been consistent.

He’s a club captain. He’s an English international and is widely tipped as the next international captain there. There are no character concerns, and few injury concerns (cue devastating injury in season one).

That may not sound like a lot, but Enzo, despite being just two years younger, is not yet two years removed from River Plate. When Rice made his 100th West Ham start, Enzo was on loan at Defensa y Justicia. Chelsea bought their man after 22 total starts at Benfica, while Rice has 226 in a West Ham shirt.

What about the concern that he has too many minutes in his legs? Yeah, that’s one I can understand. But we’re in an age where sports science is better than ever, and players like Modric and Benzema are remaining impactful into their late 30s. It doesn’t feel crazy to think Rice, if he continues to take his craft seriously, could last well after his first contract is set to end.

Ultimately, this deal being surrounded by other considerable ones is reason to believe KSE are fully behind the project. And so long as that continues, and Arteta and Edu remain in the fold, it’s a great time to be a Gunner.