As Declan Rice starts training with the Gunners for the first time since his high-profile transfer, manager Mikel Arteta is enthusiastic about what the England midfielder will bring to the squad, highlighting his leadership, experience and physical qualities.

• Mikel Arteta is thrilled with the arrival of Declan Rice to Arsenal, acknowledging his leadership, experience, and physicality as vital assets to the squad.
• The manager sees Rice as a beacon for the team, expected to light up others, improve the squad, and increase ambition within the club.
• Despite the pressure following high-profile transfers like Rice’s, Arteta is confident in Arsenal’s ability to improve on last season and handle the expectations.

Declan Rice: A new dimension for Arsenal

As Mikel Arteta watched his latest signing, Declan Rice, train with his Arsenal teammates for the first time, the manager expressed his anticipation for what the England midfielder will contribute to the team.

“His leadership, his aura, obviously the experience he already has in this league. He’s going to bring the team to a different dimension,” Arteta revealed.

Arteta is particularly enthusiastic about the physical qualities that Rice brings to the team, an aspect he believes has been missing in Arsenal.

“He’s got the physical qualities that we’ve been missing for a while, that’s why we had to do what we had to do to get him, because he’s really important for us,” the manager explained.

Arteta alluded to the club’s strategy of building a team that complements each other in terms of skill, depth, and quality. He sees Rice as a crucial element of this strategy, predicting that the new recruit will not only raise the team’s performance but also inspire ambition among his teammates.

“I see him like a lighthouse, he will light up the others and improve the others, and make the team better. The way he talks, the ambition he has, and the passion for the game is exactly what we need,” Arteta said.

Arteta is not oblivious to the heightened expectations following high-profile signings like that of Rice, but he remains confident in Arsenal’s resilience and dedication to continuous improvement.

He said, “We know that, but at the end it will be about playing better and earning the right to win every single match the way we play.”

Rice, who follows in the footsteps of Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, is Arsenal’s third signing this summer.

Arteta expressed satisfaction at the club’s ability to secure their targets early, allowing ample time for preseason preparation.

The manager concluded, “What we have done this summer improves the squad significantly.”