Graeme Souness Claims Declan Rice Isn’t Good Enough for Four European Giants
Graeme Souness has reignited his criticism of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, arguing that the England international would struggle to get into four of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Rice, 27, joined Arsenal from West Ham United in the summer of 2023 for a reported £105 million. Since arriving at the Emirates, he has established himself as a key figure under Mikel Arteta and played an important role in Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning campaign in 2025/26.
However, Souness remains unconvinced that Rice possesses the qualities required to be considered a complete midfielder.
Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored, the former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder questioned Rice’s positioning and claimed he often operates too deep to be regarded as a genuine midfield player.
Souness said: “How many times do you see him as the last man with the ball? In the build-up, he’s last man. He’s sitting between two centre-halves or between the centre-half and the full-back.”
He continued by criticising the modern approach of midfielders dropping deep to receive the ball without pressure before distributing it to the full-back.
Souness then made his biggest claim, insisting Rice would not get into the starting line-ups of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City.
Despite his criticism, Souness acknowledged Rice’s defensive qualities and described him as the best defensive midfielder in England at present.
“He’s the best defensive midfielder in the country right now, he smells danger,” Souness said, before suggesting that Rice could potentially be better suited to playing at centre-back.
The former midfielder also praised Rice’s ability on the ball, highlighting his passing technique and ability to strike the ball cleanly. However, he maintained that the Arsenal star is still not a complete midfielder.
Since moving to Arsenal, Rice has made 162 appearances across all competitions and scored 21 goals. He has also been selected in the PFA Team of the Year three times and won Arsenal’s Player of the Season award twice.
Souness’ latest comments are certain to spark debate among Arsenal and England supporters, particularly given Rice’s growing reputation as one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders.
