Arsenal in talks to sign exciting PL star who could be Declan Rice 2.0

Things might not be exactly going as planned for Arsenal in the Premier League at the moment, but the team’s transformation over the last few years has been spectacular.

Mikel Arteta took over a side down in tenth five years ago and, over the following seasons, turned them into one of the best sides in the country, and one that is still just about in a title race for the third year running.

While the Spaniard’s sensational man management and clever tactics have certainly played their part in the Gunners’ rejuvenation, so have his signings, with the likes of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice now hugely important to the first-team.

It was the £105m transfer of the latter last summer that really signified the club’s return to the top table of English football, and now reports are linking them to a talented loved by Ian Wright, who could be Rice 2.0.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several Premier League teams interested in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City are keen to land the services of the talented youngster.

However, in developments that should excite the Arsenal faithful, the story has revealed that the North Londoners have already held talks over a potential transfer in January and are hopeful that an offer of €55m – £46m – will do the trick, although the Eagles are holding out for a figure closer to €65m, which is about £54m.

It could prove a costly transfer to get over the line, but given Wharton’s ability and potential, it is one well worth pursuing, especially as the last English midfielder they signed from the Premier League worked out rather well.

Wharton could be Rice 2.0 for Arsenal

So, the first thing to say is that we don’t think Arsenal will be looking at Wharton to be a replacement for Rice, just that in signing him, they would be, in a way, repeating what they did to secure the 25-year-old’s signature last year.

For example, heading into the 2023 summer transfer window, they knew they needed a new midfielder capable of playing in the six and left-eight, so they pursued an English talent from a fellow London-based Premier League team, as they would be should they sign the Palace star.

On top of that, like the former West Ham United captain, the 20-year-old Eagles star broke into senior football at an incredibly young age, making his first team debut for Blackburn Rovers at just 18 years old in an EFL Cup tie against Hartlepool in August 2022.

Over the following season and a bit, the young “phenom,” as dubbed by analyst Jon Mackenzie, went on to make 51 appearances for the first team, in which he scored four goals, provided five assists and was hailed as “one of the most exciting English U-19 talents around” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Since stepping up to top-flight football following his £22m move to Palace in February, the Blackburn-born gem has looked just as impressive and currently has 26 appearances for the South Londoners under his belt, which have been split pretty evenly between central and defensive midfield.

Moreover, his adaption to the Premier League was so impressive that Gareth Southgate opted to take him to Germany for the European Championships, and even though he didn’t play, it’s a sign of just how highly he is thought of by those in the game.

Speaking of which, Arsenal legend Wright described the 20-year-old as being like a “Rolls-Royce” back in April, which is the same thing Danny Murphy said of Rice in 2021, while David O’Leary said the same thing after the Gunners’ home win over Manchester City last season.

Ultimately, as both Wharton and Rice can play as a six or eight, there is no reason Arteta couldn’t have them both in his starting XI, so the club should pick up the pace and bring the youngster north of the river as soon as they can before someone else beats them to him.