Rio Ferdinand has warned Declan Rice that he will need to step up to another level after making the move from West Ham to Arsenal. The midfielder is set to seal a move to the Gunners worth a potential £105 million with a medical booked in.
The England international has long been set to leave West Ham with Chelsea looking the most likely destination for a number of years. However, as football.london reported in January, the Gunners made Rice their top priority for the summer window and have now moved to get their man.
Rice has been in great form for England and West Ham, leading David Moyes' side to the Europa Conference League title, but the midfielder has been warned he will need to step up with a team who will be regularly expected to challenge for trophies.
"Declan Rice will have loved it at West Ham, what a way to sign off," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. "But the difference is that he’s going to be joining a team that are going to be challenging for the league.
"All the big trophies that they’re in for they’re going to be trying to win those things, it’s not about just competing. And I think that’s going to be a difference.
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"What we need to see now is, can he step up that level? Can he go up to that level and the expectation now which is different, the demands on him which are different. More is going to be asked of him maybe in an Arsenal shirt than what he was doing at West Ham."
Rice is set to complete his medical at Arsenal on Friday, according to reports, with the move announced soon after. The transfer will be the most expensive ever for a British player, surpassing the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish - though short of the £106.7m Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January.
