When Arsenal jetted off to Dubai at the beginning of the year in search of sun and relaxation, a magic potion must have been found along the way.
Why? Well, the Gunners have been one of the best teams on the continent since that trip. They have scored goals by the bucket load and are unbeaten in the Premier League throughout 2024 so far.
They are now top of the league, clear of Liverpool and Manchester City who they face next Sunday, and they’re also into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
After a run of three matches across the New Year period where they’d not only failed to win but had also only scored once, that’s not bad going.
Key to their revival has been the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and penalty hero David Raya. However, we think a certain Declan Rice deserves just a little more praise.
Declan Rice’s performance in numbers throughout 2024
Rice’s marquee capture last summer sent a message throughout the rest of the league. Never in their history had Arsenal broken the £100m barrier. In fact, until Rice arrived they hadn’t broken the £72m fee paid for Nicolas Pepe. The less said about that the better.
Unlike Pepe, Rice was never destined to flop. He was always going to be a success. It’s rare you can call a £105m footballer a bargain in today’s market but that’s exactly what the midfielder is.
You could count criticisms of the England star on one hand but you’ll need an army to count up the superlatives thrown his way this season.
In the first half of the campaign, Rice was more reserved. He acted as the deepest of midfielders in Mikel Arteta’s system. He still popped up with some vital goal contributions, though, scoring late winners against Manchester United and Luton Town. It was the perfect way for the former West Ham man to endear himself to the Emirates Stadium faithful.
Yet, 2024 has seen him go to an all-new level. The 25-year-old is now adding more goals and more assists to his name. He’s even become somewhat of a set-piece specialist.
In the first half of the campaign, Rice was involved in just five goals across 28 games. Yet, across the first three months of the new calendar year (11 matches), the midfield sensation has been involved in seven goals, four of which have been assists from dead-ball situations. That’s a 40% increase on his efforts in the first half of the term and a 44% increase already on his seasonal tally of 2022/23. Not bad indeed.
Arteta has been known to favour domestic signings and in Rice, you can’t get much better. Therefore, the idea of potentially repeating this trick in the summer is an exciting one.
Arsenal transfer targets for 2024
A notable priority for this summer’s transfer activity will be a striker. Ivan Toney has been linked relentlessly since the winter but whether the Gunners will be happy to meet an alleged £80m asking price remains to be seen.
The latest name to come out of the rumour mill is another Premier League player; Morgan Gibbs-White.
That’s according to the Daily Star this weekend who suggest that Arsenal are keeping tabs on the Nottingham Forest man’s availability with the Tricky Trees wary they may have to cash in on a few players amid fears concerning profit and sustainability rules. They have already been docked four points for a failure to follow the regulations.
Why Morgan Gibbs-White is so exciting
So, what would Gibbs-White bring to north London? Well, the £42m-rated star is a much-liked figure, winning Forest’s Fans’ Player of the Season for 2022/23.
Why did he win it? Courtesy of some dazzling efforts in the final third. Last term, the 24-year-old scored five goals and registered eight assists in the Premier League.
He’s been just as good this time around, netting four times and supplying five assists across all competitions.
What will delight Arteta is Gibbs-White’s versatility. He has achieved those numbers from a plethora of positions on the pitch. The former Wolves man is first and foremost an attacking midfielder but he can also play out wide on both sides of the attack.
That kills two birds with one stone. Arsenal arguably need someone capable of thriving in that left 8 role that’s been such a topic of fierce debate this season. Arteta also needs more cover for the likes of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the flanks.
What will also please Arteta is that Gibbs-White, like the aforementioned Rice, wouldn’t need a huge period of adaption. There is a reason the Gunners have acquired so many players from the Premier League in recent years. It’s plain and simple, you know what you’re getting and the player knows the division inside and out.
Rice, of course, is a world-class player but he is the prime case study in this instance. Had Arsenal spent big money on a player from overseas, there would have been more risk attached. Perhaps the player won’t adapt to English football? Perhaps they’ll miss home? There are plenty of variables.
As a result, Gibbs-White – described as a “transition monster” by ABC journalist Ahmed Yussuf – would be a shrewd acquisition that doesn’t just take influence from the Rice deal but also Leandro Trossard.
The Belgian was a bargain buy at just £27m from Brighton and like Gibbs-White, features in similar roles on the pitch. With 11 goals this season, it’s safe to say that move has been a success.
The Nottingham Forest star might not be the awe-inspiring star signing that many supporters crave this summer but it would be more smart work in the market from Edu and Co. It adds depth, creativity and goal-scoring quality, alongside versatility. What’s not to like?
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