‘A lot faster than he’s used to’: Paul Merson says ‘fantastic’ Arsenal signing really needs to speed up now

Add as preferred source on Google

Declan Rice to Arsenal will undoubtedly be the biggest transfer of the summer.

The England international has joined the Gunners in a £105m deal from West Ham, and to say that expectations are high would be an understatement.

However, with that being said, it’s not a given that Rice will thrive in this scenario.

He’s never played for a top six club before, and Mikel Arteta’s style of play is a million miles away from David Moyes’.

We’ve seen this before with the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Wilfried Zaha and Kalvin Phillips struggling to make the step from mid-table star to one of the best players in the league, and Rice could suffer that same fate.

Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Paul Merson has shared one of his concerns about Rice, and he says that the midfielder will need to get used to the way Arsenal play, claiming that they move the ball much quicker than he’s used to.

Rice needs to speed up

Merson gave his verdict on the ‘incredible‘ midfielder.

“I can’t look past Manchester City for the Premier League title. With Gundogan gone and Kyle Walker on his way out, it might be difficult for them this season. Arsenal could give them a run for their money, but City’s bench is very strong,” Merson wrote

“Declan Rice will need to get used to the way Arsenal play. They move the ball around a lot faster than he’s used to at West Ham and England. Arsenal could get close, but I don’t see Liverpool mounting a challenge at the moment.”

Different game

Rice has been one of the best players at West Ham over the past few years, but, with all due respect, they play a different game than Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta may have played under David Moyes at Everton, but their managerial styles couldn’t be more different.

Rice will need to adjust, he will need to learn how to think more quickly, and he will need to speed up his game.

Rice should have the tools to be a success, but it’s not a given by any stretch of the imagination.