Darren Bent claims Arsenal player is 'head and shoulders above' other players in his position for England

Former Premier League striker Darren Bent has claimed that Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is levels ahead of his teammates in his position in the England side. The former West Ham United skipper has been a key player for the Three Lions under Gareth Southgate for quite a while now and Bent believes that he deserves to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Southgate has tinkered a lot with his starting XI in recent times but Rice has been one of his most used players. The Arsenal star is already capped 48 times for England and Darrent Bent has claimed that he is head and shoulders ahead of players in his position. Bent told TalkSPORT, as quoted by TBR Football:

“That’s an obvious one isn’t it? I get that because when it comes to holding midfielders in this country he’s head and shoulders above everybody. If he got injured Declan Rice, and that’s one thing about him, he’s durable, but what would you do? Kalvin Phillips and Henderson? It’s a difficult one.”

Rice is not only the best defensive midfielder in England right now but he is one of the best players in his role in the world. The 24-year-old joined Arsenal from West Ham United in the summer in a deal worth £105 million and has done justice to his massive fee so far.

Rice has been ever-present in Mikel Arteta's starting XI and has scored twice and provided two assists in 18 games across competitions. Aged only 24, he still has plenty of room for growth and looks destined to become a Premier League and England great.

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Journalist predicts Ivan Toney's next club amid interest from Chelsea and Arsenal

Journalist Ben Jacobs has predicted the next destination of Arsenal and Chelsea target Ivan Toney ahead of the upcoming winter transfer window. The reputed reported claimed that the England international would be open to joining either side.

However, as per Jacobs, Mikel Arteta's side could have an edge over their rivals to land the Brentford hitman. Jacobs told Give Me Sport:

“It isn’t a given that Chelsea will just move for Toney. We’ve heard many links. Some within Chelsea like Toney, at the right price. But generally, the consensus is that Toney isn’t at the top of the list. There’s also a feeling that if Arsenal and Chelsea come in for Toney, he may prefer the move to Arsenal."

He added:

“He’s open to both offers and keen on staying in London, but if both projects came right now, Arsenal might turn Toney’s head more than Chelsea. So Toney is the gettable one in January, but the price could be as high as £80m.”

Toney is currently serving a ban for breaching the FA's gambling rules and will remain sidelined until January 16, 2024. However, he remains coveted due to his exploits prior to his ban. The 27-year-old made 124 appearances for Brentford across three years, recording 68 goals and 21 assists to his name.