Berta sparks £100m sensation in signing Arsenal’s new Declan Rice

Over the past four seasons, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have spent 539 nights at the top of the Premier League. They have yet to lift the Premier League trophy.

For reference, if you consider that period in order and scale it backwards, you’ll see that Joe Biden was still US president, the Three Lions were still reeling from their second consecutive Euro final loss to Spain, and Thomas Tuchel had been appointed two weeks earlier.

Arsenal are a great football team and Arteta has done a phenomenal job of lifting the Gunners out of the darkness and back into the bright arena of the Champions League. Arsenal are title challengers, not competitors, and are two games away from reaching the European final in Budapest.

Arteta’s team has all the pieces to play for, but given the longer term they need to improve both in the center of the park

And up.

Arsenal targeting huge midfielder

Arsenal lost their place at the top of the Premier League after losing to Manchester City last week, but the title race remains a close one with Pep and his disciples.

Arsenal have left something to be desired in attack this season, but they are also missing something in midfield. Martin Zvimendi, for example, has looked tired and stretched in recent weeks, and Arteta’s refusal to play Christian Nordsgaard poses a challenge.

That’s why Arsenal need to sign Elliott Anderson before their rivals. According to Sky Sports, Man City are leading the race to sign Nottingham Forest’s star, but Arsenal and Manchester United are also in the race.

The 23-year-old has been exceptional this season and Forest bosses know they are acquiring a star player with a £100m price tag for Anderson. The ball is at the City Ground as he has a contract with them until 2029.

It would be a real statement signing and, given the elements within, it could be a repeat of the deal that welcomed Declan Rice to the Emirates.

Why Anderson could be Arsenal’s next Rice

The similarities are almost eerie. Anderson was dumped by Newcastle United and made a name for himself at Nottingham Forest. He is still performing there and his efforts in the Midlands have seen Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel describe him as one of the best players in the business.

Described by pundit Jamie Carragher as “one of the best midfield players in the Premier League”, Anderson would be a great addition to a valuable first-team squad, and Arsenal could form a prestigious partnership by signing him over the line.

After all, Rice was coveted by Manchester City in the run-up to his record-breaking £105m move from West Ham United to Arsenal, and was raised from flop to prodigy under David Moyes, ending his career by winning the Conference League in 2023.

Anderson could repeat that as Forest face Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final.

Eating a meal in the middle of a park is surreal and truly special. He’s a natural leader, and so is Anderson. As such, their combination could be a game-changer for an Arsenal team that only needs a little bit of work to establish themselves as superstars.

Andrea Berta oversaw a fruitful season in the 2025 summer transfer window, but Anderson would take the cake as the Spaniard’s star signing if he arrives ahead of the new season.

Rice and Anderson have already formed a strong partnership in Thomas Tuchel’s England, and that bond will grow even stronger at Arsenal, which could make a big difference in their pursuit of major silverware in the coming years.