‘Smart’ player must now be so glad he decided to sign for Arsenal

Playing for Arsenal is genuinely one of the highest honours in football, but now, one of the Gunners’ key players will be even happier with his decision to sign for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2023, Arsenal were coming off the back of a season where they finished second in the Premier League, and they were looking to push on.

The Gunners needed to bolster their midfield that summer, and they ended up signing Declan Rice for a club record £105m.

However, that deal didn’t get done without a few complications along the way.

How the Declan Rice transfer saga unfolded

Arsenal made multiple bids for Declan Rice that summer, but it took them a while to make a breakthrough in negotiations.

To complicate matters further, late in the day, Manchester City came forward with a bid for Rice. However, the ‘smart’ midfielder was seemingly dead set on the idea of joining Arsenal.

At the time, that was a bold decision to reject a team that had just won a treble, but now, three years on, it looks like one of the best decisions Rice ever made.

Declan Rice’s decision to reject Man City vindicated

Rice is now a certified key player at Arsenal, and a reigning Premier League champion. Meanwhile, Manchester City are in turmoil after their guilty verdict on 114 financial rule breaches.

In another world, Rice would be caught in the middle of a storm at Man City, not knowing whether he’d be playing Champions League football next season or National League Football.

However, at Arsenal he has all the stability a player could ask for. His team are flying high, and, in the eyes of many, Rice is a captain in waiting.

The decision to reject Man City for Arsenal was bold, and, at times, Rice may have even questioned it himself, but after recent developments, the England star must feel pretty vindicated by his decision.