"Very good" - Arsenal's record signing Declan Rice waxes lyrical about Real Madrid star

Arsenal's record signing Declan Rice recently lavished praise on Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni who he came up against at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Rice, 24, went to battle against Tchouameni, 23, in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar last year. The French midfielder was the difference maker on the night, scoring the opener in a 2-1 victory for Didier Deschamps' Bleus.

The new Arsenal midfield star holds the Real Madrid midfielder in high regard and has talked up his playing style. Declan Rice said (via MadridUniversal):

“Tchouameni at Real Madrid, he’s a youngster as well, very aggressive, gets on the ball, goes forward with it, he’s very good."

Aurelien Tchouameni has impressed at the Santiago Bernabeu since joining Real Madrid from AS Monaco in 2022 for €80 million. The French international has bagged four assists in 54 games across competitions.

The French youngster is defensively astute and also boasts plenty of power, as was the case with his goal against England at the World Cup. He recently scored a similar goal in a 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in a 2024 Euro qualifier.

Tchouameni's stock went high in the season prior to his move to Madrid in 2022. The former AS Monaco youngster was a wanted man and he claims that Kylian Mbappe even tried convincing him to join Paris Saint-Germain. He instead became Los Blancos' fourth most expensive signing in history in an €80 million deal.

Declan Rice holds similarities to Tchouameni as he plays in a similar midfield position. He also puts out fires before venturing forward to help his team attack, but he does have a better goalscoring resume. The Arsenal midfielder scored five goals and provided four assists in 50 matches across competitions for West Ham United last season.

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Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham talked up his England midfielder partnership with Arsenal's Rice

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Arsenal's Declan Rice.

Rice headed into the 2022 World Cup with a new midfielder partner in the form of Jude Bellingham. The 20-year-old was shining for Borussia Dortmund at the time and garnering interest from some of Europe's heavyweights.

Bellingham eventually made the move to Real Madrid this summer for €103 million. The English midfielder is the La Liga giants' second-most-expensive signing in history.

However, he has already lived up to expectations with five goals and one assist in just four games. He's the first player to score that many goals in as many games at the start of their Madrid career since the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bellingham is enjoying life in a more advanced role for Carlo Ancelotti's side, while that isn't so much the case for England. He sits in midfield alongside Rice who evidently has a lot of admiration for his compatriot. The Arsenal midfielder said last year (via The Daily Mail):

"Declan is someone I admire a lot. He's a top, top player. He is really good at what he does — he masters his craft, the type of midfielder he is, he's one of the very best."

"He allows me to do the things that I want to do with the ball, going forward, trying to get in and around the box, he gives you protection, so I think we complement each other very well," Rice added.

The duo forged an exciting midfield partnership at the World Cup despite getting knocked out by France in the quarterfinals. They could be key for the Three Lions in Germany next year should Gareth Southgate's men qualify for the Euros.