"Worst take in the history of football" - Fans slam Arsenal supporter for claiming he'd pick Declan Rice over Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets

Football fans on Twitter have slammed an Arsenal supporter for claiming the current iteration of Declan Rice is better than Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets at his peak.

Rice is understandably held in high esteem by much of the Gunners fanbase, with the team pursuing him since the start of the ongoing transfer window. However, one fan seemingly took it too far in the eyes of many with the following statement about the West Ham United captain (via @ESPNFC on Twitter):

"To make you understand how important Declan Rice is, if Prime Busquets was on the market, Rice would still be my No. 1 choice."

That prompted a variety of angry responses from Twitter users, with one of them writing:

"The worst take (in) the history of football"

Another tweeted:

"Only Arsenal fans would say things like this. That's why no one takes them serious(ly)"

Here are some more reactions:

Rice is undoubtedly a talented player and has been tremendous for West Ham since rising up the ranks to make their first team more than six years ago. He has played 245 times for the Hammers, racking up 15 goals and 13 assists, and led them to the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League title, too. Rice has also won 43 caps for England.

However, Busquets is one of the greatest holding midfielders to have graced European football. The Spaniard, having risen through the ranks at La Masia, has made 722 appearances for Barcelona, recording 18 goals and 45 assists.

His glittering resume includes three UEFA Champions League titles, nine La Liga titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups, among other honors. Busquets has also won 143 caps for Spain and helped them win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 UEFA Euro.

Both Rice and Busquets seem to be on the move this summer. Here's a quick look at what stage both deals are at.

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Arsenal inch closer to completing Declan Rice deal after tabling massive third bid

Arsenal have seemingly made Declan Rice one of their priority signings this summer. The Gunners saw their first two bids for the midfielder get rejected by West Ham United, with Manchester City also joining the race.

However, on June 27, The Athletic's David Ornstein reported that Arsenal had launched a third bid of £100 million in transfer fee and £5 million in add-ons. City were then reported to have left the race, leaving Mikel Arteta's side in pole position.

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano reported on June 28 that Arsenal now expect the deal to be completed shortly.

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Sergio Busquets set to join Inter Miami after running down Barcelona contract

Sergio Busquets is set to turn 35 next month but remained integral to Barcelona's first XI during the 2022-23 season. The veteran midfielder made 37 starts and 42 overall appearances, helping them secure the La Liga and Supercopa de Espana titles.

Despite reports suggesting that Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez wanted to keep Busquets for another season, he's set to run down his contract. On the expiry of his deal at the end of this month, the Spaniard looks set to join Inter Miami CF, with the club teasing his arrival earlier this week via a Twitter post.

Busquets will seemingly join hands once again with fellow Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the month. The duo played 566 games together for the Blaugrana, winning 400 and losing just 65.