Ian Wright claims David Moyes was right about ’embarrassing’ Declan Rice fee

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Ian Wright has heaped admiration on Declan Rice, stating that his record-breaking transfer fee seems like a great deal following his decisive performance against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The England midfielder raised some questions when he opted for Arsenal as his next destination after departing from his childhood club, West Ham, nearly two years ago.

Chelsea and Manchester City also made competing offers, but it was Mikel Arteta’s plan that persuaded Rice to make the switch to the Gunners.

Since then, Rice has justified Arteta’s decision with a string of impressive performances, culminating in an exceptional display on Tuesday evening, where he netted two remarkable free-kicks to edge Arsenal closer to what would be just their third semi-final appearance in the Champions League.

Initially, the £100 million price tag seemed high, but David Moyes, who coached him during his last season at West Ham, felt Arsenal got a bargain — a sentiment Wright now completely agrees with.

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He told *The Overlap*: *‘With David Moyes saying we haven’t got enough for him. Remember him saying he wanted £150 million for him. I know like now we can all jump back and say ‘yeah David Moyes was right’ but Declan from the time he’s been at Arsenal he’s made that fee look embarrassing.’*

**What did Moyes say about Declan Rice’s transfer fee?**

*‘I used to get criticised when I said he should be £150million,’* said Moyes before Everton’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend.

*‘When I see Arsenal supporters, I tell them they owe me £50m because we only got £100m for him. I think he’s proven exactly what we thought he was, which is a top player. He was an unbelievable example to young players at West Ham with how he conducted himself.*

*‘He was coming out of contract and planning to leave West Ham and he was applauded everywhere he went because of his actions. He dealt incredibly well with it. I said he will eventually be an England captain and I think everyone would agree he is heading in that direction.’*

Declan Rice scored Arsenal’s opener in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

His first free-kick was curled around Madrid’s wall with precision.

While Arteta, Rice, and several teammates were quick to stress that the tie is only halfway through with a tough second leg ahead at the Bernabeu, Arsenal’s solid defensive record in the competition offers genuine optimism — especially with Jakub Kiwior stepping in strongly for the injured Gabriel. Still, Wright is staying cautious.

He said: *‘[On Arsenal beating Real Madrid] It was an amazing game. I think everybody played well – [Jacob] Kiwior did very well and so did Thomas Partey. Especially [Bukayo] Saka, being 50% fit – he was amazing. The manager has always gone on about the group and their mentality and they had to show it in that game.’*