Declan Rice insists he is unfazed by the prospect of battling Bournemouth star Alex Scott for his England place, or even a spot in Arsenal’s midfield.
Injury kept Scott out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest Three Lions squad, yet the 23-year-old remains one of the Premier League’s hottest properties.
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Having already seen Chelsea fail with a summer bid, Bournemouth are braced for further interest, including a potential 2027 swoop from Arsenal, with the Cherries valuing him at around £100 million.
For Rice, however, fending off elite midfield rivals is nothing new, pointing to the stacked engine room he already navigates daily at the Emirates.
“To be honest, Alex Scott playing was incredible. The way he’s been playing for Bournemouth the last two or three seasons has been remarkable,” Rice explained.
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“The way he’s being spoken about is totally right because of the levels he’s set for himself and I totally understand playing for England comes with competition.
“When Arsenal signed Bruno Guimaraes, when we signed Zubimendi, when we had Myles Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Odegaard, you’re competing with six midfielders at your club every day, so there’s nothing different. Throughout my career there’s been competition. It’s normal.”
