"I always knew and see what a good player he was" - Arsenal's Declan Rice praises Chelsea star's 'unbelievable' showing this season
Arsenal star Declan Rice heaped praise on his Chelsea counterpart Moises Caicedo for his impressive displays for the Blues this season. The Ecuador international has been a standout performer in the Premier League this season, finally looking like the player the Blues broke the bank for.
For much of 2023, the destinies of Caicedo and Rice were tied together, as both featured heavily on the wishlists of many of England's biggest sides, including Chelsea and Arsenal. The Gunners reportedly made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Caicedo in January before eventually landing Rice for £105 million that summer, making him the most expensive British player ever.
Declan Rice spoke with Sky Sports about his fellow midfielder, praising him for the form he has shown in blue this season. He also praised his mentality for having coped with the pressure of playing for a big club despite his significant price tag.
"I always knew and see what a good player he was. This season as well, he's been unbelievable. So I think for sure, he's another player who's handled the price tag now really well, because to play for a club that Chelsea is obviously real big pressure," Rice said (via ESPN).
After the Gunners signed Rice, Chelsea paid a Premier League record sum of £115 million to Brighton & Hove Albion for Caicedo. He struggled in his first few months at Stamford Bridge before eventually finding his feet at the end of his debut campaign, and his form has continued this season.
Moises Caicedo put on two huge shifts in his last two Premier League appearances against Manchester United and Rice's Arsenal, winning the Player of the Match award in the former.
The 23-year-old leads the Premier League in combined tackles and interceptions at 56, which shows the amount of work he puts in in midfield. He also has the joint-most interceptions in a league game this season (seven against Newcastle United), and also has a goal and two assists.
Chelsea and Arsenal stars pull out of England squad
Players from Chelsea and Arsenal were among the nine to pull out of the England squad for this month's UEFA Nations League games through injury. The Three Lions are due to face Greece and Ireland in their final two games of the group phase this month with a depleted squad.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and forward Bukayo Saka decided against featuring for the Three Lions in their games this month. Rice suffered a broken toe a few weeks back, which caused him to miss the Inter Milan defeat, while Saka picked up a problem against Chelsea last weekend.
The Blues also have a number of players who have pulled out of the games, with both Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill withdrawing. Both players appear to be struggling with physical niggles and are not at full fitness. They were joined in pulling out by Jarrad Branthwaite, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Ramsdale, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden.