All-rounder Declan Rice might be the thinking man’s Dream Team selection in 2025/26

IT shouldn’t be forgotten that Declan Rice (£5m) finished as Arsenal’s top Dream Team performer last season.

The England international accumulated 295 points when all was said and done, a huge overperformance against pre-season expectations.

PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE 2025/26 SEASON! OVER £100,000 IN PRIZE MONEY

Dream TeamAll round excellence[/caption]

For the latest in our SCOUT REPORT series, we’re shining a light on Rice ahead of the new campaign as he’s a relatively unique asset.

Generally speaking, it’s best to select attack-minded midfielders as, while there are many ways to earn points, goals involvements remain the primary currency.

Dream Team managers who adopt such an approach would likely overlook Rice as he’s regarded as a more defensive midfielder or a box-to-box engine.

However, while it’s true the 26-year-old does his best work in the middle third of the pitch, his tangible contributions in attack should not be underestimated.

He scored nine goals in all competitions in 2024/25 with his brace of direct free-kicks against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League being among the most memorable strikes of the entire season.

EPAWho could forget?[/caption]

Rice also registered ten assists and he was perhaps a tad unlucky not to have notched more given the number of big chances he created.

MOST BIG CHANCES CREATED AMONG DREAM TEAM MIDFIELDERS IN 2024/25

28 – Cole Palmer

27 – Bruno Fernandes

27 – Bukayo Saka

25 – DECLAN RICE

23 – Morgan Rogers

20 – Bryan Mbeumo

19 – Martin Odegaard

19 – Youri Tielemans

A significant number of Rice’s chances stemmed from set-piece situations as his whipped corners are a key weapon.

With 6ft 2in Viktor Gyokeres (£6m) joining the likes of Gabriel (£5m), Mikel Merino (£4m) and Kai Havertz (£4.5m), Arsenal should maintain their set-piece threat this coming season.

PARice has developed into a complete midfielder[/caption]

In truth, Rice is a strong option because he offers many avenues to points.

Rather than excelling in one discipline, he performs well in several aspects of the game, best evidenced by his healthy total of 45 bonus points last time out, a tally bettered by just five players in his position.

Make no mistake, Bukayo Saka (£6.5m) remains the best Arsenal midfielder but he comes at a premium cost.

Many gaffers simply won’t be able to afford the England winger from the get-go and so it may be that Rice offers a more affordable option for those keen on the Gunners.

GettySaka is the most expensive midfielder in the game prior to Gameweek 1[/caption]

Furthermore, he is a relatively safe pick in the sense that he’s a guaranteed starter, which can be useful at the start of a new season when Dream Team bosses are still getting to grips with revised pecking orders.

Rice currently features in 9.4% of teams.

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