Jamie Carragher has left Arsenal fans fuming after claiming two star players, Declan Rice and William Saliba, will be ‘desperate’ to lift a trophy, suggesting the pair could look to leave the club in pursuit of silverware.
Rice, who joined Arsenal for a club-record £105million in 2023, and Saliba, who moved to north London from France in 2019, are both yet to win a trophy with the Gunners.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is currently suffering a trophy drought, despite being on course to finish runners-up in the Premier League for the third successive season, with his most recent silverware coming in the FA Cup in 2020.
However, the pair were integral in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign that saw them knocked out in the semi-final to French side Paris Saint-Germain - the furthest Arsenal have gone in the competition since 2009.
Declan Rice had a stellar Champions League campaign, but was unable to get Arsenal to the final
PA
Speaking to Sky Sports before Arsenal’s heavyweight clash against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, Carragher was asked when he feels Rice will start to doubt his future due to the lack of silverware.
The former Liverpool defender responded: “I don't think right now [Rice will be doubting his future], I think for other players maybe in the team who have been there a little bit longer.
“In terms of Declan, I think he's been Arsenal's best player this season. I'm not saying he'd give it another 12 months, but I think those doubts maybe kick in in another 12 months.
"I think those doubts kick in, maybe in another 12 months" ⏱️
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 11, 2025
Jamie Carragher thinks that Declan Rice may start to question if he can win at Arsenal 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ysWtoAmPPN
“It might be different for somebody like a [William] Saliba, who has been there a little bit longer and is desperate to get his hands on some silverware.”
There have already been reports that Real Madrid are keen on Saliba. However, it's possible they'll have to wait - with a deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold their priority instead.
Carragher praised the dressing room atmosphere, however, saying: “I think they all feel they're really close. They are very close, but we all know as players the final step is the biggest one."
READ MORE: Virat Kohli's huge net worth revealed as India captain retires from Test cricket
Arsenal currently sit second in the league after they came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday, meaning they are on course for a third successive second-place finish, with Carragher suggesting some stars may become frustrated through the lack of silverware.
Supporters of the north London club were not happy with the pundit's comments, with one fan claiming he was ‘creating imaginative narratives’, while another called him ‘a disgrace’.
In news that will please Arsenal supporters, Rice spoke positively about the atmosphere at the club and moving forward after their defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Jamie Carragher claimed Arsenal players will be 'desperate' to win silverware
PA
"In life in general, sometimes you have to lose a few in order to win, and you have to overcome some of these setbacks to mentally grow as a person, as a player and as a group," he said to TNT Sports.
“We're going through that stage at the minute after a few losses in terms of losing out on the league and coming close in the Champions League in back-to-back years.
“We're growing as a team, as people, but we need to keep pushing and keep believing. This is why we play this sport, there are going to be setbacks along the way.”
The 26-year-old played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s route to the semi-final, producing back-to-back man of the match displays against reigning champions Real Madrid to run out 5-1 victors on aggregate.
The progression of the club under Arteta is in no doubt, but the question remains whether he can guide the club to the pinnacle of football, with the club without a Premier League trophy since 2004 and never achieving success in Europe.
He will need to take the next step, which Carragher described as ‘the hardest’, soon, in order to retain his stars.
