Arsenal hero Emmanuel Petit reckons Declan Rice has outperformed even Cole Palmer and Phil Foden this season. Rice was snapped-up for £105million from West Ham last summer to help push the Gunners closer to their Premier League title rivals Manchester City, with a fight between those two teams for silverware ongoing.

Rice, 25, swiftly brushed off the weight of expectation brought about by his eye-catching transfer fee, and he has been a standout performer for Arsenal in their engine room. The former West Ham captain has totted up six goals and seven assists from 34 outings in the Premier League to go with his defensively sound displays.

As for Palmer and Foden, meanwhile, they have been in sparkling form for Chelsea and City, respectively. However, while Petit acknowledges what they have done in attacking quarters, the Frenchman is adamant that Rice deserves more praise for his efforts at the Emirates Stadium and beyond this season.

During his latest appearance on radio station talkSPORT, the former Arsenal midfielder said: "Come on, you have forget someone. I agree, they've [Palmer and Foden] been very good this season, but I will say Declan Rice.

"He left his club [with] £100million on his shoulders and, all of a sudden, he was a huge hit straightaway. Rice has been marvellous, amazing during the whole season."

Petit, 53, added: "I think he was probably the missing link from last season. I wish I could play with him, alongside him in midfield, because it would be a big pleasure to play alongside him."

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Rice and Foden are certainties for England's Euro 2024 squad this summer. Palmer has done everything he can to join them in Germany, too, having scored 20 goals and nine assists for Chelsea in the Premier League following a transfer of his own, for £42.5million from City, last summer.