Arsenal has had a tremendous transformation in recent years, despite the fact that their Premier League campaign isn’t exactly going as planned at the moment.
Over the next few seasons, Mikel Arteta turned a squad that had finished in ninth place five years earlier into one of the best in the country, and they are now in the running for the championship for the third year in a row.
In addition to the Spaniard’s amazing man-management and astute tactics, his acquisitions—such as Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard—have also contributed significantly to the Gunners’ comeback.
The latter’s £105 million signing last summer signaled the club’s return to the top table of English football. Rumor has it that they are linked to a talented player who Ian Wright loves and who could be Rice 2.0.
Transfer rumors to Arsenal
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, several Premier League teams, including Arsenal, are showing interest in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
Title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City are reportedly eager to sign the gifted young player in addition to the Gunners.
Though the Eagles are hoping for a price closer to €65 million, or roughly £54 million, the North Londoners have already held talks over a possible transfer in January and are hopeful that an offer of €55 million to £46 million will work. These developments should excite Arsenal supporters.
Although it might be expensive to make the move, Wharton’s skill and potential make it worthwhile, especially considering how well their previous Premier League midfield signing performed.
Wharton might be Arsenal’s Rice 2.0.
First of all, we don’t believe that Wharton will be considered a substitute for Rice by Arsenal; rather, we believe that by signing him, they would be essentially doing the same thing they did to get the 25-year-old last year.
For instance, they sought an English talent from a different London-based Premier League team, as they would have if they signed the Palace star, knowing they required a fresh midfield player who could play in the six and left-eight going into the 2023 summer transfer window.
Furthermore, similar to the previous captain of West Ham United, the 20-year-old Eagles player made his senior football debut at a very young age, playing for Blackburn Rovers in an EFL Cup match against Hartlepool in August 2022 at the age of 18.
The youthful “phenom,” as commentator Jon Mackenzie called him, made 51 appearances for the first team over the course of the next season and a half, scoring four goals and dishing out five assists. Talent scout Jacek Kulig praised him as “one of the most exciting English U-19 talents around.”
Furthermore, even though he didn’t play, Gareth Southgate chose to bring him to Germany for the European Championships because of how well he adjusted to the Premier League. This shows how highly regarded he is by others in the game.
Speaking of which, in April, Arsenal great Wright compared the 20-year-old to a “Rolls-Royce.” This is similar to what Danny Murphy said of Rice in 2021, and David O’Leary made the same statement during the Gunners’ victory against Manchester City at home last season.
In the end, the club should quicken their pace and get the young player north of the river as quickly as possible before someone else beats them to him because both Wharton and Rice can play as a six or an eight, so there’s no reason Arteta couldn’t include them both in his starting lineup.
Following his £22 million transfer to Palace in February, the Blackburn-born jewel has made 26 appearances for the South Londoners, alternating between central and defensive midfield. He has been equally excellent since moving up to the top division.