The Declan Rice vs Casemiro debate has picked up pace in the previous few days as the England international has successfully made his first big jump in the transfer market by joining Arsenal.
Casemiro has ruled Europe for more than half a decade with Real Madrid but the 31-year-old has looked off-pace in the Premier League this season. He started the first half of the campaign in blistering fashion but after a few unwanted red cards, Casemiro very visibly became a lot more cautious and timid.
Declan Rice, on the other hand, is the rising defensive midfielder and because he’s an England international, there’s no point in guessing that the 24-year-old is the darling of the English press.
He has ended his West Ham United career on a high, winning the Conference League but now, he will have to match up to Casemiro’s stature because Arsenal will be playing in the Champions League next season. Obviously, there’s miles to go before Rice can actually catch up with the Brazilian but we still decided to take a deeper look into the Declan Rice vs Casemiro debate.
Market value of the two players:
As per TransferMarkt, Casemiro is currently valued at €40 million while Declan Rice is at the peak of his powers with a valuation tag of €90 million.
Back in 2020, Casemiro was a €80 million player but as age has caught up to him, the Brazilian has seen a steady decline in his valuation.
Trophies:
This is one area where Rice will have to be really lucky to even match up with his counterpart.
The England international has just won one trophy while Casemiro has already won 20 major honours while playing for Madrid and Manchester United. Just to make it clear, this man has won five UCL trophies during his seven-year stint in Spain.
Declan Rice vs Casemiro – Defensive stats:
Rice played 37 Premier League games last season for the Hammers whereas Casemiro played only 28 but still, the Brazilian is neck to neck in terms of defensive contributions.
Casemiro contested far more duels(326) than Declan Rice(285) and he even made more tackles(88) than the 24-year-old(79).
However, Rice conceded a lot fewer fouls(23) than Casemiro(48) and it was quite evident as well because the Manchester United man had picked up two red cards in the league.
Casemiro was a great tackler in his Real Madrid days plus he was also a genius at breaking up play but this past season, it was Rice who had actually won more ground duels(58.56% vs 50.42%).
The Brazilian was at the peak of his powers a few years ago but it’s no surprise that age is catching up to him. There’s no denying that he has been a sensational signing for Manchester United but at the same time, he has realised the hard way that he won’t be able to get away with rash challenges in England.
Rice vs Casemiro – Attacking stats:
The defensive stats were very neck to neck for these two defensive midfielders but when it comes to the attacking department, Declan Rice seems to be the clear winner.
While the two have the same number of goals, the England international has completed more passes(1834 vs 1109) and has also created more chances in the league(37 vs 28).
Rice completed 941 passes in the opposition half and had an accuracy of 88% which is miles ahead of the Manchester United midfielder.
When it comes to an attacking mindset, Declan Rice was much more drilled and focused this season but we also have to keep in mind that the new Arsenal signing missed only one league game while Casemiro played 28 league matches. Rice played 3272 minutes in the EPL while Casemiro was on the pitch for 2125 minutes for Man United.
Declan Rice vs Casemiro – Conclusion:
Everyone thought Casemiro was coming to the Premier League for a paid holiday but the Brazilian has worked his socks off for Manchester United. United had been missing a world-class defensive midfielder for years now and in just one season he has shown the Old Trafford faithful how a great CDM can help elevate their side.
However, the 31-year-old probably has two or maybe three good seasons left in him which is why Erik ten Hag wanted to sign Declan Rice. Arsenal have obviously paid an extravagant amount for the English midfielder but they have definitely got a great deal because Rice is only 24 years old.
Even playing for a team like West Ham United, Declan Rice has almost matched up with Casemiro in every department and we have a strong feeling that under the guidance of a manager like Mikel Arteta, he can become Casemiro 2.0 in the next couple of seasons.
Note: All stats are courtesy of Squawka for the 2022/23 Premier League season.
