Glen Johnson believes £110m rated player should join Chelsea despite Arsenal links
Former England right-back Glen Johnson believes West Ham United's Declan Rice will have a better career at Chelsea than Arsenal. The two London outfits have been heavily linked with a move for the English midfielder, whose contract expires next summer.
When asked where Rice should play next season, Johnson told Lord Ping:
“In terms of style of play, right now you could see him playing in this Arsenal team. What I meant about them is that I don’t believe they are going to keep doing this over the next sort of three or four years. Yes, they might win the league this year and obviously if they do, they deserve it but all the big teams have at times looked poor."
He added:
"City and most certainly Liverpool, Chelsea - they have all been average by their standards and next year, I don’t believe they will be. So some of them will bounce back and therefore, I can see Arsenal sliding back down."
Declan Rice was shook when Yaya Toure walked into his house 😭 https://t.co/4t00mKdzda
The former Liverpool defender claims Chelsea boss Graham Potter can get the best out of Rice at Stamford Bridge. Johnson said:
“They have obviously got big plans, the owners have come in and put the money on the line, they clearly want to be a success and they have got a fantastic coach. He will get the best footballing side out of Declan I think, so I just see them competing within the next sort of three years, more so than Arsenal.”
Rice has been one of West Ham's most prized assets in recent times. However, with the Hammers fighting to stay out of the relegation zone, a move to a top club could be on the cards for the Englishman this summer.
"Does not influence the game" - Former Manchester United striker sends warning to Arsenal and Chelsea over Rice
Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke seems to believe that Rice is overrated. While the Trinidadian acknowledged that the English midfielder is a good player, he remains reserved about his potential price tag.
How much is Declan Rice worth? 💰
#AFC #Arsenal #Arteta https://t.co/V9trJb4Z9C
West Ham boss David Moyes suggested earlier this month that the Arsenal target could break the British record transfer fee if he leaves the club this summer. Referring to the Scottish manager's comments, Yorke said (via Metro):
"David Moyes has said Declan Rice would break the transfer record because he’s seen how much Chelsea spent on Enzo Fernandez. Rice is an English product so Moyes has to big him up, you can’t let all the foreigners come and take the limelight!"
He added:
"Rice is a good player but he does not influence the game enough at a top level for me. I would not say he is as tremendous as everyone makes him out to be. But with the market we’re in, Rice will have a similar fee to Fernandez, we’ve seen prices like that on English players like Jack Grealish."
Chelsea secured Enzo Fernandez's services from Benfica in January for a British record fee of £107 million, surpassing Jack Grealish's £100 million move to Manchester City.