‘That’s the thing that he lacks’ - Graeme Souness names area Arsenal ace Rice must improve to truly become world-class

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was in fine form on Tuesday night against Real Madrid in the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, bagging a brace in the 3-0 victory, with both goals coming from direct free-kicks.

The England international has continually justified the £105 million the Gunners paid for him in the summer of 2023, but Graeme Souness believes he needs to do more in attack if he is to be truly regarded as a world-class star.

“He’s talented,” the former Liverpool star told the Daily Mail.

“At 6ft 2ins he’s got real physical presence, a tremendous athlete who gets around the park, and you’d have him in your dressing room every day of the week but he is still short on the creative side that would elevate him to being world class.

“He has nine goals and nine assists for club and country and a lot of assists attributed to him are corner kicks. In my book that’s not an assist. That’s the thing that he lacks – being more cute and clever in the final third. The challenge now is for him to go on and be better in that area. Obviously, he has worked hard at his game and is improving. At 26 I don’t ever see that work ethic changing in him either.”

Most Arsenal fans will not agree with Souness, but there is an iota of truth in his assessment of the former West Ham United captain.

Rice is a solid player and will be a regular starter at every club on the planet, but he is not the finished product and still has plenty of room for improvement.

Fortunately, he has continued to get better since joining the Gunners, and regularly putting in the type of attacking performances like he produced against Madrid will take him to the next level.

Rice has to prove that the display on Tuesday was not a fluke, and all eyes will be on him in the return-leg at Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.

The Arsenal star has everything it takes to replicate his heroics in Spain, and leading his side to Champions League glory this season will convince Souness and other doubters of his huge talents as he approaches the peak years of his career.

The post ‘That’s the thing that he lacks’ - Graeme Souness names area Arsenal ace Rice must improve to truly become world-class first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.