‘Going to be hard’: Paul Merson says 24-year-old Arsenal player could struggle this season

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Declan Rice has joined Arsenal for a British-record £105m fee, and the footballing world are waiting with bated breath to see how the midfielder gets on after his huge move.

This is a transfer that has been years in the making, we’ve been discussing Rice moving to one of the big six clubs since the turn of the decade, and now it’s time for Rice to step up and show what he is made of.

Many are expecting Rice to thrive at Arsenal, but Paul Merson really isn’t expecting big things from the 24-year-old.

Writing in his column for SportsKeeda, Merson has actually tipped Rice to struggle, claiming that it will be hard for the midfielder to really make a mark at Arsenal due to their front-foot possession style that is very different to David Moyes’ style at West Ham.

Rice could struggle

Merson gave his verdict on Arsenal’s newest signing.

“I think it’s going to be hard for Declan Rice to come into his own at Arsenal. When you play at West Ham, you haven’t got the ball much. When you do, you keep possession to give your defence a breather. When Arsenal win the ball back, they get forward and don’t mess about,” Merson said.

Won’t be easy

Rice is a very talented player, but as with any footballer, a manager can make or break your performances.

At West Ham, Rice played a bit of a no-nonsese system where he didn’t have to do a massive amount of short passing or quick interplay, but at Arsenal, that will be his bread and butter.

The same applies to Gareth Southgate and England, Rice has never played under a manager like Arteta, and this could be a bit of a culture shock for the Englishman.

Rice may not hit the ground running in the way many expect him to.