Arsenal have made great strides in the last couple of years, emerging from the wilderness under Mikel Arteta to become genuine title challengers this season.
The Gunners have relied heavily on young stars to get back to a position of strength, none more so than tricky winger Bukayo Saka, who has become a shining light on their journey back to mixing it among the elite of English football.
Regardless if they succeed or fail in their quest to finalise a first Premier League winning triumph since 2004, Arsenal have already secured qualification for the Champions League, where they will mark their return to the competition after a six-year absence.
With impressive achievements comes greater expectations and the north London outfit will be expected to enter the transfer market for some high-profile reinforcements this summer.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been heavily linked with a switch to the Emirates in the off-season to provide a touch of class in the middle of the park, though reports suggest that it may cost as much as £120 million to entice the 24-year-old to move across London.
As Arsenal enter a new era following an underwhelming period in the late 2010s and early 2020s until last season, both Saka and Rice could have a pivotal role to play in shaping the Gunners' future success.
How have Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice faired this season?
Both players have been among the cream of the crop in the Premier League this term, playing a major part in helping their respective clubs move closer to their objectives.
Starting with Saka, the 21-year-old has been in fine form for Arsenal, registering an awe-inspiring 14 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances encompassing all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
Rice has also helped out on the goal contribution front for the Hammers despite being utilised primarily as a defensive midfielder, chipping in with four goals and four assists in 44 outings, as cited once more by Transfermarkt.
The combined £130k-a-week duo Saka and Rice have also shown their capacity to churn out consistent performances at will in 2022/23, respectively achieving an average match rating for their exploits on the pitch of 7.41 and 7.05, according to WhoScored.
Interestingly, the pair already have a strong bond together, both at England on the field and as friends as the pair have been described as being very close to each other.
Journalist Paul Brown thinks that Rice would improve immeasurably if he moved to Arsenal and linked up with his England teammate Bukayo Saka and other Gunners first-team stars.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Brown said about Rice in particular: "Watching him link up with the likes of Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, all of those players, I think they would improve him. I think Declan Rice going to a better team than West Ham would make him an even better player. I think that would be great to see personally."
Declan Rice's stats are quite astonishing this season, as he currently ranks 1st in the Premier League for interceptions and 9th for progressive carrying with the ball (FBRef). These are two stats that could massively improve an Arsenal midfield that currently has the like of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey pulling the strings. Indeed, the pair have been good this season but clearly not as good as Rice, who has the ability to bring counter attacks to a halt with his interceptions, and then has the drive to move forward and possibly even start counter attacks, which will be news to the ears of the speedy Bukayo Saka.
The Gunners have conceded 12 goals in their last six games, so it's clear that things aren't perfect at the back. Rice offers that extra layer of protection with the interceptions mentioned above. As well as this, he is 6th in the Premier League this season for tackles, which further strengthens his argument to be the shield Arteta needs in front of his defence.
As well as Arsenal potentially taking Rice to the next level, it has been claimed by former professional footballer Paul Parker that Rice can take a "team to the next level", so it really could be a win-win for both the club and Rice as a player.
Interestingly, it was claimed that Arteta was hatching a bit of a plan to open talks and convince the midfielder to join the Gunners as soon as the season ends, with an "official" approach.
Arsenal are in a position they've longed to be in for some time and genuinely look like they have a young crop of talent that is growing with every passing moment on the elite stage.
Adding Rice into the mix this summer with players such as Saka and company around him would aid the Gunners in their mission to take that next step and may help them to realise their ambitions both in domestic football and on the continent moving forward.