"We just look different with him" – Ian Wright suggests Arsenal summer signing could become next club captain

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has showered praise on Declan Rice, asserting that the midfielder could become the Gunners' next captain.

Rice, 24, joined Mikel Arteta's outfit in a potential £105 million deal from West Ham United in the summer. He has established himself as an indispensable member of his current team in his initial few months, starting 18 of his 19 appearances across all competitions this season.

Speaking on the Wrighty's House podcast, Wright claimed that Arsenal are a better team with the former Chelsea youth star in their starting lineup. He said (h/t HITC):

"It's his physicality, the physicality and the fluidity of him. We just look strong, we just look different with him. When you look at his consistency, I'm getting it all the time from people – captaincy. I love Martin [Odegaard] and, of course, he's our captain and I'm very, very happy with that, absolutely delighted with that."

Highlighting Rice's leadership and consistency, Wright continued:

"The thing is, when you've got a player in your team who is eight or nine out of 10 every week, leading by example with everything that he does, you can't help but think... that guy is a captain. That guy is a captain, the way he's playing."

Rice, who captained the Hammers to the UEFA Europa Conference League crown past season, has bagged two goals for the Gunners so far. He netted a late goal in a 3-1 win over Manchester United and one from outside of the box in a 2-2 draw at Chelsea earlier this season.

The 48-cap England international, who has also laid out two assists this campaign, is next expected to be in action on Wednesday (November 29). He is likely to start Arsenal's UEFA Champions League Group B encounter against Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens at the Emirates Stadium.

Pundit urges Arsenal to sign Douglas Luiz

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has insisted that Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz will prove to be a stellar addition to Arsenal's squad in the future. He told Football Insider:

"He'll be a brilliant signing and make an excellent addition. The left-hand side of the midfield is an area where they've played Kai Havertz – it's maybe an area of potential strengthening that they could potentially look at. We forget that Thomas Partey is yet to come back too, so we don't know if Luiz would get in ahead of him."

Luiz, who joined Aston Villa from Manchester City for around £15 million in 2019, is currently in good form for Unai Emery's side. He has registered six goals and three assists in 20 overall matches this season.

A Vasco da Gama youth product, the 25-year-old Brazilian was linked with a switch to Arsenal throughout the entirety of past campaign. However, Aston Villa allegedly rejected three bids for the star last summer.