Arsenal midfielder, Declan Rice has admitted that he struggles with pressure on the huge price tag following his move to the club in the 2023 summer transfer window.
The Gunners spent 105 million on the 24-year-old making him the most expensive English player ever in football.
With 12 Premier League games played so far, the former West Ham United star has had a strong start to life at the Emirates, starting in every one of them. The north-London based club are currently third in the standings, one point behind leaders Manchester City.
“When the transfer was going through I was very nervous because of the price tag,” he told The Telegraph as cited by 90min.
“It’s natural to think about that. You’re a human being bought for £105m, it doesn’t feel very normal!
“But that was because of what I’d done at West Ham, what they valued me at. When I signed for Arsenal I just thought, ‘I just need to be Declan Rice’, be myself, don’t be any different, everything will go smoothly.
“The first three weeks of pre-season were really tough in terms of the change. When you’re at a new job you start to feel really settled after a few weeks.
“That really feels the case now. In terms of the price tag, I don’t really think about it, I just play the games and try to play as well as possible.”
The midfielder has brought total transformation in the Gunners’ middle of the park, bringing energy, intensity and a bit of creativity.
The UEFA Europa Conference League winner with West Ham has played 18 games across all competitions this season, scoring two goals and providing as many assists.
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