What does data analytics have to say about it?
Right from the start, it has to be said that in Declan Rice, Arsenal are getting a player who can do almost everything in his position, and all at a high level, too.
But by far the most striking thing about him as a number six or eight is his ability to win a high number of balls and then advance with his runs to where his team has a better chance of scoring. In terms of the combination of these two skills, he is without a doubt one of the best players in the world.
Although the above may tempt you to think that he is an aggressive player, he is much more of a calm force in the middle of the pitch capable of waiting for the right moment.
What Rice really excels at is reading the game and anticipating his opponent's next moves. He wins a high volume of balls by disrupting the opponent's passing game.
If he senses the right moment to win the ball, he is rarely wrong. In the last Premier League season, his success percentage in this was around the 82% mark. Only 2% of other central midfielders were better.
He also performs excellently in advanced data metrics that track how dangerous the areas he recovers the ball in are. In other words, he stops opponents' attacks in positions close to his own goal or in those that would lead to a big chance.
He is also greatly aided by his physical strength. Only Vitaly Janelt and Tyler Adams had a higher success rate in ground duels last season in the Premier League.
He also ranks among the best players in the air. And with the quality of his performances, it's probably no surprise that he is also one of the central midfielders with the least number of fouls in the competition.
As soon as Rice gets possession of the ball, he immediately applies his speed, dynamism and power to surge forward. He is amongst the absolute best not only in the number of progressive runs but also in terms of their value, meaning how much they increase his team's chances of scoring.
This is especially true in his own third of the pitch and in the middle of the pitch but he is also dangerous when he arrives in the attacking third as well.
He only sporadically ends up inside the penalty area, preferring to move the ball to better positions by passing, especially from the intermediate spaces or the central area near the opponent's penalty area, the so-called 'zone 14'.
Many accuse Rice of opting for rather simple solutions when playing the ball but it must be remembered that West Ham are not exactly one of the teams that allow a high level of creativity.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are a unit with one of the highest ball possessions per game, passes per sequence and attacking intensity. Thus, it will be interesting to see if this adds another dimension to Rice's game.
In any case, with his arrival, the club have gained a player capable of forming both a strong duo with Thomas Partey or Jorginho in the middle of the park, as well as filling the role of a lone six in the event of their departure.
