Arsenal legend Ray Parlour believes we might not have seen the best version of Declan Rice just yet and thinks a move to Arsenal could be the best thing for him.
Speaking to TalkSport, Parlour praised Rice but admits he’d like to see him play more as a box-to-box midfielder should he join the Gunners.
He stated, “With going to Arsenal, he [Rice] might get a little bit more of a ball, he might be able to get forward a little bit more. When you’re playing and you’re down the bottom, you might have to defend a little bit more as a midfielder.
“So we might not have seen the best of him yet, where he can get forward a little bit more because he’s a good footballer as well. People say ‘well he’s a holding midfielder’. I don’t like the sound of that I like the box-to-box midfielders, who can get forward, score goals.
“Also, defend when they have to. Using that little bit of common sense, if your partner alongside you sees you running forward and maybe he hasn’t got that at West Ham because he’s got other players who’ve been more attack-minded.”
The Gunners are certainly the favourites to land the England international, according to a recent report from Sky Sports News.
With manager Mikel Arteta already building his young Arsenal side into title contenders, this could be a very attractive prospect for Rice.
He himself is only 24-years-old, meaning he’s still got plenty of room to develop as a player. The fact that Arteta has proven to be so effective when it comes to improving his current squad. This could entice Rice over other potential destinations this summer.