Give or take

When Arsenal paid £105m for Declan Rice in 2023, the fee looked ridiculous. Three seasons later, it looks like one of the smartest pieces of business in Premier League history. Rice hasn't just justified the money, he has redefined what a £100m player should look like. Available, complete, decisive and capable of influencing almost every phase of a game. Goals, assists, ball carrying, defending, chance creation, set pieces, duels, leadership, he gives you everything. He has also been Arsenal’s Player of the Season in consecutive campaigns and played a huge role in finally turning a team that kept finishing second into champions. And when you look at the entire £100m+ list, the argument gets even stronger. Grealish has the medals, but eventually lost his place and left on loan. Enzo has talent and numbers, but hasn't had Rice's influence on a title-winning side. Caicedo was an outstanding player at Brighton, until he became a popularly known shin kicker at Chelsea. Then you have Wirtz, Isak, Anderson, Rogers, Tonali and Barcola. Some have barely had a full season, some have dealt with injury disruption, while others don't yet have a meaningful Premier League sample. You simply can't put them above a player who has already delivered three seasons of elite football and a Premier League title. That's what separates Rice for me. His case isn't built around one impressive statistic. It's the consistency, versatility, availability and influence. A £100m player is supposed to transform a team, Rice did exactly that. The £105m doesn't look expensive anymore. It looks like Arsenal got one of the best players in the entire £100m club.