Jamie Carragher has waded into one of the hottest debates in English football, who’s the best midfielder in the Premier League right now? For the former Liverpool defender, the answer is clear: Arsenal’s Declan Rice edges out Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo while pole Scholes chooses Tonali over rice.
Both players were at their brilliant best over the weekend. Rice was once again at the heart of everything for Arsenal, opening the scoring in their 2-0 win over West Ham. Meanwhile, Caicedo produced a thunderous strike to give Chelsea an early lead against Liverpool, a performance that reignited conversations about his growing influence under Mauricio Pochettino.
With both midfielders scoring crucial goals and commanding the spotlight, comparisons were inevitable. Gary Neville was quick to declare Caicedo the best midfielder in the league at the moment, but Carragher wasn’t having it.
As reported by the Standard, the Sky Sports pundit said:
“Oh, he is very close, but he wouldn’t be the best for me. If you are talking about an all-round midfielder, Declan Rice would just pip Caicedo for me, I think he’s just got a little bit of extra quality with the ball. But there’s no doubt, not just this season, if you think from Christmas onwards last season he was as good as anybody.”
Carragher’s point highlights what many Arsenal fans have been saying all season, Rice isn’t just a destroyer in midfield, he’s evolved into a complete all-rounder. From breaking up play and dictating tempo to arriving late in the box with a goal threat, the England international has been a transformative signing for Mikel Arteta’s side.
What makes this debate even more intriguing is the shared transfer history between the two stars. Back in 2023, Arsenal were heavily linked with both Caicedo and Rice. At the time, reports suggested Caicedo was the Gunners’ top target before the club decided to break their transfer record to land Rice from West Ham instead.
Both deals eventually crossed the £100 million mark, and both players have gone on to justify those staggering fees in their own ways.
Still, if Carragher’s words are anything to go by, the edge right now belongs to the man in red and white. Declan Rice’s blend of composure, physicality, and technical class may just make him the most complete midfielder in the Premier League today.
