"When you talk about a player costing £105 million, you want everything" - Carragher says Declan Rice must improve one aspect of his game at Arsenal

Declan Rice has had a promising start to life since joining Arsenal from West Ham United in a deal worth £105 million this summer. The defensive midfielder has caught the eye of the fans with his performances in his first three appearances for the Gunners but Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes he still has to improve one important aspect of his game.

According to the former Reds defender, Declan Rice needs to work on his shooting. Carragher explained that the former West Ham United star would attract criticism if he doesn't work on his finishing, especially now that he's representing an elite club.

“I think the one big criticism that everyone will have of Declan Rice, which I think has been a little bit unfair in his career up until now, would be how many goals he scored," he said on Sky Sports (via TBR).

“When you talk about a player costing £105 million, you are thinking that I want everything. When we’re talking about getting into positions to score, that [his finishing] has to massively improve. So, yes, it’s been a legitimate criticism before but now he’s playing for a better team I think his numbers have to go higher,” the Liverpool legend added.

Declan Rice made his first official appearance for Arsenal during the Community Shield victory over Manchester City on August 6, playing 81 minutes of the encounter. Six days later, the midfielder made his Premier League debut for the Gunners against Nottingham Forest, a match they won 2-1.

He also featured in the Londoners' most recent league match versus Crystal Palace where they earned a narrow 1-0 victory yesterday (August 22). Rice seems to be winning over the fans at the moment with his smart movement in midfield and spirit on the pitch.

Mikel Arteta lauds Declan Rice's display for Arsenal versus Crystal Palace

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The Arsenal manager was full of praise for Declan Rice for his incredible performance in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace yesterday. When asked to assess the Englishman's effort in his post-match interview, the Spaniard said:

"I think it was great. He bossed the midfield and dominated the game. He was very influential, both attacking and defending. Today he played a different position to last week because of what we expected from Palace and what we needed today, and I think he was really good," he added.