A few years ago Declan Rice had his pick of clubs. The midfielder ultimately ended up Arsenal, signing for a club-record £105m deal.
That said, he could quite easily have been at Manchester City, celebrating a Premier League title before the Gunners ended their two decade long wait for it.
However, that would have been the easy route out of West Ham. That's not what Rice is about, however. He relishes a challenge.
Declan-Rice-Arsenal
Released by Chelsea as a boy, the midfielder has worked his backside off to get to where he is today. The England international is now a Premier League winner and one of the best players in the world. A conversation may have to be had about the Ballon d'Or if England win the World Cup.
That being said, there is an argument to suggest that Arsenal have struggled to find a consistent partner for Rice. Perhaps they could sign one in the upcoming transfer window.
Arsenal in talks to sign big-money midfielder from the Premier League
One of the biggest priorities for Arsenal this summer in the market would appear to be strengthing the midfield.
It explains links to several players, notably West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes who could take the same escape route of the London Stadium as Rice did three years ago.
Mateus-Fernandes-West-Ham
That said, the midfielder's desire would appear to be to sign for Manchester United, joining international teammate Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park.
As a result, the Gunners will have to turn their attention to alternatives. One of those is Italian star Sandro Tonali.
Back in the winter, Arsenal were first linked with the player on transfer deadline day but a move did not materialise. Several months later, a deal could be back on the table.
It's likely that Tonali will depart Newcastle United this summer and Arsenal are one of the frontrunners for his signature. According to new reports in Italy, the English champions have now established direct contact with the Toon.
Sandro-Tonali-Newcastle
Italian journalist Simone Lorini reports that 'talks have already begun with Newcastle' regarding the player's future.
He notes that 'a few days ago', Arsenal began their initial investigations into a major midfield signing for Mikel Arteta. That said, he is unlikely to come cheap at all.
Previous reports indicate Eddie Howe and Co could be looking for a huge £100m fee.
Why Declan Rice would love Sandro Tonali
With two midfielders departing the Emirates Stadium last summer, Andrea Berta made it his mission to bring in a new partner for Rice.
In the form of Martin Zubimendi, he looked to have secured just the answer. The heir to Rodri's throne for his nation, Spain, the former Real Sociedad man was quite the coup considering he had rejected Liverpool a year prior.
Martin-Zubimendi-Arsenal
In the opening few months of his time in London he was repaying his transfer fee in spades. Those two goals against Nottingham Forest were quite the start but around the new year period it started to unravel.
That awful mistake when he gave the ball away against Manchester United, a moment that led to Bryan Mbeumo scoring, was one of the final straws for supporters.
Zubimendi had shown immense calmness during the opening months of his Arsenal career but his limitations were now being exposed. Technically he is great, but he lacks the progressive nature of someone like Rice and indeed Tonali.
Speaking towards the end of 2025, Rice said of his partnership with the summer signing "It's been so easy to play with him. We only signed him in the summer, and usually it takes a while to build a connection. But from the first moment we had together in pre-season, I could just tell that I was going to play some good football with him."
Lewis-Skelly-Rice-Arsenal
However, that partnership has become weaker as the season has gone on. Zubimendi has played the second most minutes of any outfield player at the club this term and has paid the price towards the climax of the campaign. Myles Lewis-Skelly came into the team and immediately offered more energy.
So, if Rice loves playing alongside Zubimendi, he'd surely love playing alongside Tonali.
Tonali vs Zubimendi in 2025/26
Stat (per 90 mins)
Shots
Big chances created
Successful dribbles
Progressive actions
Progressive carries
Progressive passes
Defensive ground duels won
Ball recoveries
Hailed as "one of the best midfielders in the Premier League" by analyst Adam Joseph, Tonali may not be the most exciting player around but he's certainly mightily effective.
For all of the metrics important for a midfielder playing in a deep-lying position, he trumps Zubimendi in 2025/26.
One of the biggest reasons for the Spaniard's reduction in game time towards the back end of the term was his inability to progress play. Well, Tonali could certainly solve that problem. He's completing far more progressive actions per 90.
Sandro Tonali Newcastle-1
Further to that, he's mopping up the danger more effectively, completing more ball recoveries and winning more defensive ground duels.
As a result, this is a player who could benefit Rice immensely. In the last few games, he's been preferred as a number 6 but the arrival of Tonali could push the England star back into a more advanced role as the 8 where he can impact play in the final third.
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