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Declan Rice urges Arsenal fans not to ‘judge’ him on £105m price tag too quickly.
Within “two weeks” of being the most expensive player in Britain, Declan Rice pleaded with Arsenal fans not to hold his £105 million ($135 million) price tag against him.
When Rice joined the Gunners from West Ham earlier this summer, he surpassed Jack Grealish’s £100 million ($129 million) transfer fee as the most expensive footballer in Britain.
He does, however, claim that he is at the Emirates Stadium for the long haul and hopes that his first two weeks with the team will not be used to assess him.
Speaking to ESPN, Rice said: “I think five years ago I’d be dreaming about where I am now. I don’t actually think about it. It is crazy to think ‘yeah OK, I’ve been sold for £100m’ but I haven’t thought about it once. That’s a price tag that is now attached to me. I just try to play football and enjoy myself. I don’t try to put any added pressure on me. Me being myself is what’s got me here. That isn’t going to change now I’m at Arsenal. I’m still going to do things that I’ve done that have got me to Arsenal.”
He added: “At the end, judge me on the price tag then, don’t judge me after two or three weeks. Hopefully at the end, that’s why I’ve come to Arsenal because I want to be a success and I want this club to be a success.”
The renowned former manager Arsene Wenger claims his old club is now the favourite to win the Premier League title. The England international also attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester City, but his move to Arsenal has led to an injection of positivity.
This week, Arsenal’s preseason tour in the United States continues with a match against Barcelona.