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Graeme Souness makes interesting claim about Declan Rice and James Maddison amid Arsenal and Tottenham links
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move to sign Declan Rice, while Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on James Maddison. Graeme Souness has made an interesting claim about the two England players now.
The Gunners reclaimed the bragging rights for North London last season by finishing above Spurs for the first time since the 2015/16 campaign.
Arsenal are now aiming to make a statement signing in Rice, while Tottenham‘s most-linked offensive target seems to be Maddison. Speaking on , Souness seems to like the latter more than the West Ham man.
Graeme Souness makes claim about Declan Rice and James Maddison amid Arsenal and Tottenham links
Arsenal signing Declan Rice and Tottenham landing James Maddison would improve both sides massively.
Spurs have needed an attacking midfielder since Christian Eriksen left the club. A midfielder who can directly contribute goals week in and week out could change their fortunes next season. The ‘outrageous‘ Maddison would be perfect.
Arsenal’s priority, on the other hand, is additions in central midfield – both in the number six and eight positions. Declan Rice checks those boxes and he would be an amazing signing.
The Gunners are reportedly going back in with a third offer to sign Rice this summer, but Souness doesn’t quite think he’s someone who should cost a fee of around £100 million.
He further went on to make a little comparison with reported Tottenham target Maddison.
Speaking about Rice, Souness said: “If you’re looking for a top, top midfield player, I don’t believe he has enough cute passing in him to be that.
“I think he’d be a really good guy, he’d be great to work with, extremely athletic, he senses danger so he’s got that part of a central midfield player’s game, he’s got that. He can get himself into positions where the guys he is playing against that want to find the striker or make a cute pass, he knows that and not everyone can get that.
“So he’s got that instinctively, but what he doesn’t have is cute and clever passes when he gets into the last third. I think he’s a little bit predictable when he gets on the ball personally. He’d make Arsenal better. Would he personally get better? Not sure.
“Maddison has got that final ball. I’m not sure if that’s something he [Rice] can develop. I think that’s something you’ve got or you’ve not got, there’s no doubt he would be an asset to whoever takes him, and I bet he’s a great boy to work with.
“This is not a criticism, we’re talking about someone worth £100 million. His record is 204 games, ten goals, ten assists.”
TBR View:
We get where Souness is coming from here, but this will surely not discourage Mikel Arteta or any Arsenal fan from wanting Rice in their side this summer.
The West Ham man may not have the ability to make a ‘cute’ pass, but Arsenal have Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to do that, and they can chip in at any time.
All Rice has to do is play behind Odegaard and do a job either as a holding midfielder or as a number eight, where he will have to progress the ball from the midfield to the final third.
If he can do that as well as he has done at West Ham over the last few years, he will be a fine player for Arsenal – irrespective of how much he ends up costing the Gunners.
We’re sure he’ll improve massively under Mikel Arteta too.