Mikel Arteta believes that record signing Declan Rice can act as a “lighthouse” in Arsenal’s bid to go one better in the Premier League this season.
The 24-year-old joined from West Ham on Saturday in a £105million deal.
Rice signed a deal which will run until at least 2028 and the Arsenal boss has high expectations of what he can bring to the team in the coming years.
“I see him like a lighthouse, that he is willing to put light in others and improve others and make the team better and that is a huge quality,” said Arteta.
“For me, to be a midfielder you have to have that and he’s got it 100 per cent. The way he talks and presents himself, the ambition he has and the passion towards the game. That is exactly what we needed.
“It’s his leadership, his aura, the experience he already has in the league he is going to bring and the team to a different dimension I think.”
Rice has been earmarked for the number six role and Arteta decided that his skill set was one that could take the team to the next level, having finished second in the Premier League last season.
“It was was while ago,” Arteta said, on when he made the decision to target Rice.
“We were discussing how he could evolve the team and how he could compliment the players that we already have.
“He can give us more flexibility, quality and depth. And he can take that winning hunger into the team with players who really want to push themselves to a different level.
“He has the physical qualities we were missing for a while as well. That is why we had to do what we had to do to get him because he was really important for us.”
Arteta has added Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz to the ranks this summer in deals that take their spending close to £200million.
He has strengthened his squad with quality who can improve the starting XI and the club have delivered the players in time for the pre-season tour so he can integrate them quickly.
“That was the target when we started to discuss and plan things but obviously it was a very difficult one to achieve,” Arteta said.
“I think the club has done tremendously well. We have the support and the aim of the players to join the club and it’s great because it gives us time to prepare in the right way.
“I think every transfer window we are trying to do that and every season we are trying to develop our players to a level.
“When we don’t reach with that level we have to recruit and I think what we have done this summer improves the squad significantly.”
GO DEEPER
‘Dec was released by Chelsea and worried it would happen at West Ham. It’s worked out well’
(Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
