Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo: Who should Arsenal sign this summer?

Defending & out of possession

Both are regarded as immense defenders. Arsenal recently discovered first-hand just how effective Rice is without the ball when he snuck up on Thomas Partey, dispossessed the Ghanaian, and kick-started the sequence which led to a Hammers penalty.

Rice is a menace when given the freedom to press high, although his aggression and eagerness can sometimes get him into trouble positionally. Nevertheless, the England international is a tremendous athlete who covers ground at will.

He’s certainly a more measured defender than Caicedo (he’s committed, on average, 1.25 fewer fouls in the Premier League this season), and his 1.92 interceptions rank in the top 3% of all midfielders over the past year. Rice has tackled 61.1% of dribbers faced this term, depicting his strength in one-vs-one situations, while he’s also adept in the air. The West Ham skipper has won 60% of his aerial duels this season.

As for the similarly aggressive Caicedo, he’s a counter-pressing machine and Arteta would undoubtedly appreciate his ability to win back possession in the opposition’s third to ensure his side sustains pressure. The Ecuadorian plays a pivotal role in facilitating counter-attacks on the south coast as a result of his stellar tackling ability. His 3.09 tackles per 90 minutes rank in the top 9% of midfielders, while, like Rice, he’s tackled over 60% of the dribbles he’s faced.

The two excel in different areas without the ball, and it’s mightily tough to separate them. Rice’s reading of the game and timing, or Caicedo’s tackling and counter-pressing?

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