In the wake of Declan Rice’s great performance in the Champions League match against Real Madrid, Arsenal supporters have criticised Rio Ferdinand’s ‘deluded’ idea about the player.
Rice shined brightly as Arsenal secured their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League by defeating Real by a score of 5-1 on aggregate.
According to the supporters, his performance at the Bernabeu caused them to reconsider his standing in the world of football, and they expressed their opinions verbally.
However, Richard Keys had a different point of view and criticised his “daft” error, arguing that he was “lucky” in the situation.
Rice, who reached a club-record price of £105 million in the summer of 2023, was under consideration by a number of clubs before to his transfer from West Ham United to Arsenal, which is owned by Mikel Arteta.
West Ham University turned down a proposal from Manchester City for Rice, despite the fact that Pep Guardiola was eager to acquire the services of the outstanding midfielder.
Ferdinand feels that the 26-year-old would have turned down Arsenal if the Red Devils had given the same wage as Arsenal had they offered it to him. Manchester United was also regarded to be a potential contender.
Declan Rice, I believe, is the kind of player who, when you look at other players and wonder where he was when he got up and said, ‘Guys, the top table, I’m at it,’ you may find yourself wondering. According to what he said on his YouTube account, “I believe this tie says that.”
When competing against a squad of that calibre, that kind of team, and that champion, it was a challenge.
“And we [Manchester United] didn’t go and sign him.”
Ferdinand concluded by saying: “I think, and I will stand by this, if Man United had come to the table with a chequebook and said, ‘we’ll match what Arsenal pay’, I think Declan Rice would have chose Man United.”
Fans of Arsenal were quick to respond to Ferdinand’s bold comments regarding Rice, and many criticised his idea that he should play for Manchester United.
“What a load of rubbish,” said one user on the X platform. Rice reportedly declined City’s offer and stated that he was interested in playing for Arsenal since Arteta had persuaded him to participate in the initiative.
In a second tweet, the person said, “If Rice turned down city, then why in the hell would he go to United?”
According to the third person, “Don’t be delusional, mate.”
Rice has been an important member of Arsenal ever since he joined the club, and he has been vital in his team’s efforts to win the Premier League title in the past two seasons.
However, the Gunners are doing well in this season’s Champions League, and they have a matchup against Paris Saint-Germain scheduled for the semi-finals. The England international has not yet led his side to a big prize, but they are doing well in the Champions League.
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