Declan Rice and Cole Palmer respond to Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa’s message
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has responded to a message shared by Aston Villa defender and England defender Ezri Konsa.
Rice played a key role for the Gunners last term, notching a career best return of nine goals and 10 assists across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Konsa made 50 appearances for Villa, helping the West Midlands club reach the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals.
Both the Villa star and the Arsenal man will hope to represent the Three Lions in next summer’s World Cup.
Rice responds to Konsa’s social media post
Rice will be determined to help Arsenal win their first trophy since their FA Cup triumph back in 2020 next season.
Meanwhile, taking to Instagram [27 June] the midfielder’s England teammate Konsa shared holiday photos, including one of him and Rice together, captioned with a sunset emoji.
The Arsenal man commented: “Na my guy”, while the post also attracted likes from Chelsea ace Cole Palmer and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
Rice set to benefit from Martin Zubimendi’s Arsenal arrival
Football Insider verdict
Rice began his career as a fantastic holding midfielder for West Ham, and even operated in the backline at times for the Hammers.
| Declan Rice stats | All competitions 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 52 |
| Goals | 9 |
| Assists | 10 |
The 26-year-old’s ability to protect the East London club’s defence was epitomised when he played a crucial rule as West Ham won the Conference League in 2023.
But since joining Arsenal during the summer of 2023, the England star has become a more advanced player, and has become an increasingly regular feature on the scoresheet for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are set for midfield changes this summer after former Chelsea man Jorginho joined Brazilian outfit Flamengo ahead of the Club World Cup.
Following Jorginho’s exit, Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi, who has thrived in Spain for current club Real Sociedad.
The Gunners are also due to part company with Thomas Partey, while Christian Norgaard is closing in on a move to the Emirates Stadium from fellow London club Brentford.
But Zubimendi is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders around after helping Spain win the European Championship in 2024, and his presence will help Rice further channel his attacking abilities.