Best signing since Rice: Arsenal have struck gold on "monstrous" £45m star

Whilst he will want to forget about his mid-game huddle and mistake that followed against Tottenham Hotspur, it speaks volumes about Declan Rice that it took until March for his first mistake of the season to arrive at Arsenal.

The England international is among Mikel Arteta's most important players and the club-record £105m fee that Arsenal paid out in 2023 will look like a steal if Rice takes the Gunners to Premier League glory, plus more this season.

Add a World Cup win onto what he could win in the current campaign and there's even a suggestion that the Arsenal man could be one to watch in the Ballon d'Or race. That is the conversation that Rice finds himself in these days.

Declan Rice is dragging Arsenal towards Premier League title

Arsenal are in the final round of their dramatic fight with Manchester City and although they've undoubtedly come away with some cuts and bruises, the judges' scorecards have them on course for a unanimous victory.

Rice very much appears to be the cutman in this fight, too. The midfielder once again dragged his side to three points against Brighton & Hove Albion, who tested Arsenal's title credentials for the umpteenth time in recent weeks.

Those at Anfield may turn their noses up at Steven Gerrard comparisons, but Rice's leadership is proving to be crucial at the Emirates, as is his ability to run games in the middle of the park.

In fact, only one midfielder has completed more passes than the Arsenal star in the Premier League so far this season and his ability to set the tempo was on show at the Amex on Wednesday evening.

As Arteta's side struggled to make their mark going forward, Rice set the tone for another impressive defensive display. It also follows a run of two assists in his last four games, highlighting how he's also making an impact in the opposition's area.

The 27-year-old is an early Player of the Season contender and deserves a lot of credit for Arsenal's rise, but he wasn't the only standout against Brighton.

Arsenal's best signing since Rice

Arsenal fans will be the first to admit that it was difficult to know what to expect from Piero Hincapie when he first arrived.

His aggression was mistaken for a rash nature at the start of his career in North London, but it wasn't long until the South American put that belief to bed in emphatic fashion.

Against Brighton, he once again proved his worth to help his side to a crucial three points. With 16 defensive contributions down the left-hand side, Hincapie silenced the in-form Diego Gomez and then some.

Those numbers have signalled impressive praise from across the Premier League. Scouted Football's Phil Costa went as far as to describe Hincapie as "monstrous" against Brighton and the defender will no doubt be one to watch when Arsenal return to league action against Everton next weekend.

For just £45m, Andrea Berta also deserved plaudits for how he landed an excellent deal last summer. Off the back of two very impressive seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, it would have been easy to be lured into an even bigger deal. Berta, however, landed what is proving to be a bargain, initially signing him on loan with that aforementioned fee the price they'll pay if and when he joins permanently.

The left-back has now started the last five Premier League games and even when Riccardo Calafiori is back fit, it's difficult to imagine a world in which Hincapie is instantly dropped.

The Colombian has earned his place under Arteta and with just eight Premier League games left to play in the title race, he should keep hold of it.

Arsenal signed some mighty fine looking players last summer, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi chief among them, but Hincapie, for all he offers technically, mentally and physically, looks like Berta's best signing so far.

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