It looks set to be a busy summer of transfer business for Arsenal as they look to go one step further next season and win their first Premier League title in over two decades.

Mikel Arteta's side have been linked to a plethora of incredible talents in recent weeks, including Sporting CP's star striker, Viktor Gyokeres and, most recently, Bologna's impressive centre-back, Riccardo Calafiori.

However, while these incredible players would seriously improve the North Londoners' squad, they already have an outstanding talent in the side who is worth more than both.

Declan Rice's Arsenal career

The man in question is also Arsenal's most expensive signing ever, Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain joined the Gunners for £105m last summer, and to say his first campaign in red and white went well would probably be an understatement.

In all, the "absolutely phenomenal" midfielder, as dubbed by former Hammers striker Marlon Harewood, made 51 appearances for the North Londoners, and while 30 came as the side's recognised six, he managed to rack up seven goals and ten assists.

That means that the 55-capped Englishman averaged a goal involvement every three games, which is quite remarkable for a player primarily signed for his defensive output.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 25-year-old sits in the top 10% of midfielders for progressive passes, the top 14% for assists, the top 15% for pass completion and non-penalty goals and the top 17% for passes attempted, all per 90.

Overall, his importance to Arsenal has become undeniable in just one season, so understandably, his valuation has remained sky-high and higher than that of the stars the club have recently been linked to.

Declan Rice's valuation in 2024

According to reports over the last few weeks, Arsenal could be set to sign Gyokeres for around £76m and Calafiori for slightly less, at around £42m.

While these signings would represent significant financial investments in the team, their valuations still pale in comparison to Rice's.

According to Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 2 titan is worth a staggering €120m, which converts to around £102m, or £26m more than the Swedish international and a whopping £60m more than the Italian.

Now, aside from his genuinely impressive performances over the last season, there are probably a few other reasons why his current valuation is so gargantuan.

First, his £240k-per-week contract still has four years left to run, meaning the club is not under any pressure to renew or consider selling him.

Second, despite playing so many games for club and country, the Kingston upon Thames-born star has an incredible injury history and has missed just seven games for club and country across his entire senior career.

Lastly, despite being firmly established as a starter for the Gunners and Three Lions, the £105m man is still only 25 years old, and with his aforementioned injury record, there is every chance he could maintain his importance into the 2030s.

Ultimately, Gyokeres and Calafiori would be brilliant additions to this Arsenal side, but it'll take a genuinely special player to surpass Rice's importance and valuation.