Graeme Souness accuses Declan Rice of ‘cheating’ in midfield
Graeme Souness has renewed his criticism of Declan Rice, arguing that Arsenal’s £105 million midfielder plays too deep to be considered an elite central midfielder.
Graeme Souness has reignited his long-running debate over Declan Rice’s midfield credentials, insisting the Arsenal star spends too much time operating from deep to be regarded as a complete midfielder despite playing a key role in the club’s perfect start to the Premier League season.
Souness made the comments after Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, a result that maintained the champions’ 100 per cent record after three matches.
Rice was involved in an Arsenal side that recovered from Morgan Rogers’ early goal through Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard, although Souness focused on the England international’s positioning rather than the team’s comeback.
The former Liverpool captain argued that Rice often drops between or alongside the centre-backs during build-up, allowing him to receive possession without significant pressure before playing simple passes.
“How many times do you see him as the last man with the ball?” Souness said, arguing that the midfielder’s deep positioning prevents him from influencing games higher up the pitch.
He went further by suggesting Rice could eventually be better suited to central defence, saying: “He’s not a midfield player then is he? I think he may be a centre-half.”
Souness did acknowledge Rice’s defensive qualities, describing him as “the best defensive midfielder in the country right now” while praising his ability to anticipate danger.
However, he questioned whether the 27-year-old has the technical influence to compete with the leading midfielders at Europe’s biggest clubs.
Souness also claimed Rice would struggle to break into the starting line-ups of Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona, comparing his style unfavourably with former City midfielders Fernandinho and Rodri.
His latest assessment comes despite Rice remaining an important part of Mikel Arteta’s team as Arsenal defend their Premier League crown.
The Gunners have now defeated Coventry City, Aston Villa and Chelsea, while their latest victory also extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to 12 matches.
Arsenal’s immediate attention now turns to Europe, with Napoli awaiting them in their Champions League opener, giving Rice another opportunity to answer his critics on the pitch.
