@EduardoHagn They did want to sign a galactico this summer, with interest in Olise and Alvarez. So I l think they wanted another attacker, but I do feel like diomandé could be signed with the view that vini jr could leave.
Again, if you’re expecting Declan Rice to play like Rodri/Pedri/Vitinha/Neves, he’s good enough to do it, but that’s not what makes him elite.
Ask him to sit as a holding midfielder, break up play and keep the game moving, and he’s arguably the best in the world. Ask him to play box-to-box and contribute in every phase of the game, and he’s comfortably among the best in his position.
It’s not difficult to identify his strengths. Expecting him to excel at the things he’s simply just good at, rather than the things he’s exceptional at, completely misses the point.
And while we’re talking about world class, Declan Rice has transformed Arsenal’s midfield almost single-handedly, won the Premier League, reached a Champions League final, and made over 230 appearances across the last four seasons. He’s always available, consistently performs, and very rarely has a bad game.
To top it off, he played through this World Cup carrying back and knee injuries after a 60+ game season. That level of durability and consistency is elite.