Declan Rice is the best big-money Premier League signing in five long years

It took extra-time, penalties and years off the lives of their fanbase, but Arsenal are in their first Champions League quarter-final in 14 long years. He might not have been at his imperious best in either leg but, once again, Declan Rice had a key role in the outcome.

It’s another indication that he is already the best big-money Premier League signing since Liverpool’s purchases of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson in 2018. There are more than a few similarities too.

Mind you, it’s not as if there’s great competition for that honour. Unsurprisingly, given their slapdash transfer policies, Manchester United and Chelsea feature heavily in any list of expensive transfers over the last six years.

For United, see Antony and Harry Maguire, for Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romelu Lukaku (formerly of United, of course).

The Blues midfield pair are undoubtedly very talented footballers with time on their side, but you’d be hard pushed to find a United fan that would say either (or any, in truth) of their marquee signings have been successful.

Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol is the most expensive defender of all time, but he’s not had that type of impact yet this season, nor was he hugely expected to – his age, playing full-back, City’s defensive depth and adapting to Pep’s style are all factors.

Prior to Rice’s £105m move across London from West Ham, the £100m Aston Villa received for Jack Grealish in 2021 was the biggest fee ever for a British footballer.

READ: Ranking all 17 of the Premier League’s £70m signings

It’s difficult to measure how successful he has been at City; he was a relatively important part of their treble last season but has never been undroppable. He has had to share that left-wing berth with Jeremy Doku this season.

Would City have won the treble without him? Impossible to say, but he has not had the same affect as Rice at Arsenal, which again is caveated by the respective statuses of the clubs and teams upon arrival.

The argument against the other signings is an easy one to make, but what about Rice himself and why he has more than lived up to his nine-figure fee (a ridiculous thing to say but that is the football world we live in)?

Prior to their goal glut since the turn of the year, Arsenal’s success this season had been built from the back with a solid defence – they have conceded the fewest in the league – which had Rice patrolling in front.

With Granit Xhaka leaving and Thomas Partey injured for large parts of the season, the 25-year-old has been asked to play several different roles for the side, some all at once. He has transitioned from a purely central defensive midfielder to a box-to-box and even attacking one at times. It has been a world away from the expectation that he would become a central defender as his career progressed.

It is incredibly encouraging for England this summer too, with Rice and Jude Bellingham now Swiss army knife midfielders. Jack of all trades, masters of most.

Dead balls have been added to his game as Arsenal have become the set-piece kings across Europe’s top five leagues – two statements few, if any, would have predicted at the start of the season. Five of his six assists this season have come in the last two months.

Goals have started to come too, with Rice already bettering his admittedly low career-high of five with the Gunners this season.

Two of his six strikes came in the away-day routs of West Ham and Sheffield United, but the other four have all been incredibly valuable for the Gunners’ title push.

His first was an injury-time winner against United, which was then followed by the goal that kickstarted a comeback from 2-0 down at Chelsea and another last-gasp winner at Luton prior to Christmas.

Last weekend, he got the opener in the 2-1 win against Brentford that put his team back on top of the pile.

While Rice nor Arsenal were anywhere near their best against Porto over the two legs – credit must go to Sérgio Conceição and his side – he did slot the decisive penalty in the shootout, displaying his penchant for the big moment that has become a theme of his young career. It is only his first Champions League campaign.

It would be remiss not to give some love to both David Raya (who ended another Aaron Ramsdale narrative hilariously started by Ally McCoist) and Kai Havertz – who showed again that Germans just don’t miss penalties.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard completed what was a pretty perfect set of spot-kicks.

But Rice has been the key man this season. While not wearing the armband, he is the side’s de facto captain, bringing a sense of calm and composure that was greatly missing at times last year when it really mattered. He is the glue that holds everything together.

That has been the case almost from minute one of his Emirates’ career. It’s where the similarities with Van Dijk and Alisson begin. The now-Liverpool captain was, within weeks, their defensive leader and second-in-command to Jordan Henderson, while the Brazilian stopper slotted in with ease as Jurgen Klopp’s dynasty truly kicked off.

Van Dijk joined an already-exciting Liverpool side in January 2018, instantly improving them at the back and helping them to a Champions League final.

Alisson then arrived the next summer (alongside Fabinho) to replace the unfortunate Lorus Karius, again lifting the side’s levels to a point where success seemed inevitable.

And we all know what happened from there. A very good team became a great team – the only one to topple City since 2017.

Could it be a similar story for Rice and Arsenal this season? One point clear at the top and into the last eight in Europe, it is all right there for the Gunners to take the next step.

They failed at this exact point last season but then they didn’t have their £105m man.

Win either trophy and Rice will have more than paid back his fee, likely scoop up a Player of the Year award and establish himself as an instant legend in north London, if he isn’t one already.

READ: Who are the favourites to win the PFA Player of the Year award?