Liverpool legend suggests Declan Rice will drive £40m player out of Arsenal this summer

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Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has seemingly suggested that a £40m player could leave Arsenal this summer due to last year’s arrival of Declan Rice.

The England international signed for the Gunners in 2023 for a club-record deal worth £105m, with Rice going on to have his best year ever in the Premier League and to start every game for England this summer at Euro 2024, where the Three Lions again made the final.

With Mikel Arteta landing on a goldmine of a player in Rice, a lot has changed about the dynamics of the Arsenal squad since the midfielder’s arrival, with the entire team, as a whole, benefiting from the 25-year-old’s inclusion.

Yet Liverpool icon Thompson believes Rice’s arrival could now see an Arsenal talent depart this summer.

Emile Smith Rowe could leave Arsenal after moving on to Rice

Speaking on TalkSport, the pundit suggested that Emile Smith Rowe could have to leave Arsenal this summer with the club moving on from the 23-year-old to Rice last year, with the attacking midfielder hardly featuring for the Gunners last season.

Thompson said on Smith Rowe’s future at Arsenal: “Getting this injury, his injury was a long time out of football, and you come back and try to make your make, and Arsenal had moved on then with Mikel Arteta.

“They had moved on with the players, and Declan Rice coming in, who I think is a fantastic footballer, great attitude, and it just looked as though Arsenal were going in another direction.

“He needs to move on, and I think that is hard to sort of say that. Look, he is Arsenal through and through, but I think if he wants to play more football, he just has to move on.”

Smith Rowe needs to leave Arsenal for the sake of his career

Rumoured with a £40m move to Fulham, it’s obvious that Smith Rowe is in need of a change of scenery this summer having made just four starts for Arsenal last season, despite his impressive array of talents.

And whilst the signing of Rice might have impacted Smith Rowe’s playing time, the attacking midfielder knows that he could have done more on his end to get more minutes at Arsenal, with Arteta also playing his part.

Indeed, Smith Rowe needs to leave north London if he’s to finally get his career off the ground in the Premier League, and this summer will be the ideal time for the 23-year-old to finally depart Arsenal for good.