Declan Rice is on the verge of becoming the next Jack Grealish. In fact, he will eclipse the Manchester City winger once his Arsenal transfer is announced.
In the summer of 2021, Grealish left his boyhood club Aston Villa to join a side playing in the Champions League in addition to competing for the biggest trophies and all it took was a £100 million fee which in turn made him British football's most expensive player ever.
Fast forward two years and Rice is following a near identical path to his England international teammate. After rising through the ranks at West Ham United - a club he joined aged 14 - it's almost certain that he too will be making a move to a club playing at Europe's top table next season.
Except if, or when, the 24-year-old does join Arsenal not only will he become the club's record signing at £105m but also replace Grealish as British football's most expensive player in the process.
Admittedly, there will be pressure placed on Rice's shoulders immediately for the price-tag alone. After all, many before him have struggled with the weight of such a hefty fee - his soon-to-be new teammate Nicolas Pepe is a prime example - but who better than Grealish to turn to for inspiration?
Upon joining Man City the winger was quizzed on his £100m transfer fee and said it was something he was relishing and that he did not feel burdened by any expectations: "It doesn't put no pressure on me whatsoever," he said at his unveiling. "I take that as a compliment.
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"I actually like it, I think it is a good tag to have. I think when you see a football club paying that much for a player it means they trust and value you highly and see so much potential there to work with. I just see it as a good thing. I just hope now I can repay this whole football club by winning as many titles as possible and winning that trophy is all we want."
Having helped Man City win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one Champions League since his big money move, Grealish is already on the right track to repaying the huge transfer fee and if Rice embraces the challenge in a similar fashion then perhaps he can have the same impact for Arsenal.
The latest on this particular transfer, according to our friends at the Daily Mirror is that Rice cut his holiday to Dubai short in order to undergo an Arsenal medical in a plan of action that will no doubt please Mikel Arteta as he looks set to get his wish of signing his priority summer target.
What do you make of Declan Rice's value?
