Arsenal told they have overpaid for Premier League star this summer as Roy Keane slams price tag

Roy Keane believes Arsenal have spent too much on Declan Rice as the pundit isn’t convinced the 24-year-old is worth £105m.

The Gunners didn’t waste much time in getting their primary transfer targets over the line this summer. Along with Rice, Mikel Arteta’s squad has also been boosted with the likes of Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.

Their spending isn’t likely to stop there either as they are now closing in on a move for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.

Arteta can be happy with the business his side has done so far, although Keane thinks they might have overpaid for Rice.

“He’s obviously going to be surrounded by better players, different demands if he’s going to play a little bit higher up the pitch. I think he definitely has that quality in terms of adding more goals to him,” Keane told ITV Football.

“He’s obviously got that physical strength, he can get in the box. They’ve obviously paid way too much for him, he’s certainly not worth over £100m Declan Rice, but he’s a really good player.

“We find out over the next year or two how good Declan is. He turns up every week, he’s a big strong boy. Has he got that real top quality in terms of seeing a pass and getting nine or ten goals? We’ll soon find out. ”

Rice will be keen to prove the doubters wrong and take this Arsenal side to the next level next season.

Rice has his best years ahead of him

There’s no doubt that £105m is a lot of money to splash on one player, but Arsenal have a long-term investment when it comes to Rice.

The midfielder is only 24 years old and still has his best footballing years ahead of him. He plays with maturity beyond his years and has already racked up over 200 Premier League appearances.

Arsenal’s recruitment strategy has been clever and concise over these past few years. Arteta has built up a core of young hungry players who could push them onto the next level.

While Keane isn’t yet convinced that Rice is worth the money, former England star Wayne Rooney has given his seal of approval on the transfer.

“I think could be the one who could… well, he has to be the leader now, really, I think of that Arsenal team,” Rooney told Press Association.

“I saw Frank Lampard saying he felt Declan could be the Chelsea captain for the next 10 years if he went there. I think he can do that [for Arsenal] and he seems to have that character and I believe he will be a huge player for Arsenal.”

The Gunners kick off their Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest and they will be on the hunt for some silverware this summer.

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