Declan Rice was surprised by Mikel Arteta and his plans for the future after having a private meeting with the Arsenal boss back in January.
The Gunners are closing in on their second signing of the summer following the arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 24-year-old is set to join for a club-record fee of £105million and will earn a reported £240,000 per-week during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
However, it's a move that has been mooted for some time. According to The Sunday Times, Rice met Arteta earlier this year and was taken back by his skillset and plans to improve the midfielder's game. The report also claims that Arsenal have noticed that Rice is a 'quick learner' and can develop quickly.
Arsenal managed to beat Manchester City to Rice's signature after a long-running saga came to an end when the Gunners lodged a third bid in the region of £105m - which would make him the most expensive Premier League English player ever. Pep Guardiola's side proposed an offer worth £90m, but pulled out the race to leave Arsenal with a clear run of completing another mega-money summer signing.
Emile Smith Rowe was asked about the signing of Rice while on international duty with England Under 21s at the European Championships. "I can’t speak highly enough of him," he said in an interview with The Sun. "I remember my first camp and I was surprised with how good he actually was.
"He was the best in training. Just his level, intensity, technically, everything he was doing. A real leader and still so young. He was really, really good."
Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber is also closing in on a £45m move from Ajax as Arteta tries to bolster his defensive cover and add an extra option in that department. Romeo Lavia has also been linked with a move from Southampton as Arteta's men look to add another midfielder to their ranks.
Arsenal will face German outfit Nurnburg in their first pre-season friendly on the summer on Thursday, July 13, before entertaining MLS All-Stars, Manchester United, Barcelona and Monaco in their remaining four friendlies.
The Gunners face Man City in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 13 - six days before the start of the Premier League campaign - where they will kickstart with a home game against Nottingham Forest.
