Arsenal have already sold their homegrown Declan Rice for just £750k

Declan Rice, eh? We have just about run out of superlatives because the England worldwide’s mega £105m move to Arsenal final summer season.

Everybody knew Rice had the potential to develop into an elite participant. He was already practically there at West Ham after skippering them to European glory within the Convention League final time period.

Nevertheless, his shows after transferring to the pink aspect of London have been elite. Not only a defensive midfielder who can break up the play, the 25-year-old is now involving himself within the offensive phases of play with larger regularity.

The membership’s file signing is already having one of the best marketing campaign of his profession from that perspective, scoring six goals and supplying seven assists too. He is additionally develop into a wizard from set-plays, now a daily taker of corners and free-kicks for the Gunners.

He is made the eye-dropping sum of cash spent on him in 2023 appear to be a discount however did the Gunners promote a homegrown model of the previous Hammer? Fairly probably.

Ben Sheaf left in 2021 however has been chic within the Championship for Coventry this season.

Why Arsenal bought Ben Sheaf

The midfielder was all the time on the periphery of creating his mark within the first crew with out ever actually getting his probability.

Arsenal knew the Hale Finish graduate had potential, even Arsene Wenger realised that. The good Frenchman handed the participant his senior bow again in October 2017, with the teen approaching for Francis Coquelin in a Europa League conflict with Pink Star Belgrade.

That mentioned, he did not fairly reside as much as what could have been anticipated of the teaching workers in and across the academy on the time.

Sheaf solely appeared for the membership on two events at a senior stage, having fun with combined mortgage spells with the likes of Stevenage, Doncaster and at last Coventry.

It’s with the Sky Blues that he finally took up a everlasting dwelling. Aged 23, Arsenal let the midfielder depart. They knew they needed to. In case you’ve not made a breakthrough within the Premier League by that age it is unlikely you will make the grade.

Ben Sheaf’s file at youth stage
Age bracket	Video games	Targets	Assists
U18s	4	0	0
U19s	7	2	2
U21s	60	3	1
Stats through Transfermarkt.

A modest fee of £750k was agreed with Coventry the place, curiously, he’s now wanting like a top-flight participant within the making.

How Ben Sheaf compares to Declan Rice

Coincidentally signing for Arsenal from Rice’s beloved West Ham in 2014, Sheaf is now having fun with a superb time with Mark Robins’ Coventry.

They sit seventh within the Championship, fourth factors off the play-off locations however with a recreation in hand. Thus, there’s a actual chance that we see the previous Arsenal academy man within the Premier League subsequent season.

Ought to he get his probability to make it within the prime flight, it will be simply reward for one of many hardest staff round.

Stated to be “one of the better players in the Championship” by analyst Ben Mattinson, one other analyst in Raj Chohan has even described the now 26-year-old as “Rice-esque”.

Why? Properly, he is changing into a press-resistant machine with unbelievable work charge and the power to make large tackles.

Though taking part in at a special stage this time period, there are some shut matches by way of their key numbers this season.

Whereas Sheaf performs a bit additional ahead than Rice – registering extra pictures and key passes – their statistics on the subject of progressing play, carrying the ball and general touches are uncanny.

Ben Sheaf vs Declan Rice: 2023/24 Season
Stat (per 90)	Sheaf	Rice
Progressive carries	2.26	1.94
Progressive passes	8.16	8.19
Photographs	1.80	1.42
Anticipated objectives (xG)	0.13	0.08
Go success %	84%	89%
Key passes	1.26	1.15
Passes into last third	5.94	7.26
Profitable take-ons	50.9%	50%
Carries into last third	1.88	1.88
% of dribblers tackled	58.1%	56.8%
Interceptions	1.63	1.28
Touches	76.6	77.7
All information through FBRef.

To counsel promoting Sheaf was a mistake can be pushing the boat out a bit however it’s clear Edu let go of a splendidly gifted participant.

In fact, they now have the swashbuckling skills of Rice to seize the creativeness on the Emirates Stadium however maybe in one other life, it may have been the Coventry Metropolis star taking part in the identical function.