FORMER Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit believes Declan Rice is being wasted by Mikel Arteta this season.
Rice has so far played as more of a box to box No8 but Petit believes he should play as a defensive No6 to get the best out of the England midfielder.
Petit told Compare.bet: "Declan Rice's priority for Arsenal should be to maintain the balance of the side and to win the ball back for his team.
"He does those things so well. I think he is wasted a bit in that number 8 role where Xhaka played last season because he is such a brilliant holding midfielder.
"You cannot ask him to play how Xhaka played last year because that's not his position.
"His best position is as a holding midfielder and that is where the manager should play him, it's fundamental to how Arteta wants to play."
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
I played in Premier League & was Henry’s ‘toughest opponent’ – now I'm a pastor
Get £40 in free bets when you stake £10 with Paddy Power
Petit was a defensive midfielder himself and played for The Gunners between 1997 and 2000 before leaving for Barcelona.
He returned to the Premier League with Chelsea in 2001.
Petit, who was part of the French national squad that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, added that he felt Arsenal should sign Bayern Munich pair Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich to solve what he considers to be Arsenal's midfield conundrum.
He said: "The main two players I would target if I was Arsenal would be Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.
Most read in Football
MONEY MAN UTD
Man Utd takeover update as billionaire new investor buys one million shares
KEANE TO RETURN
Roy Keane tipped for sensational return to management after four years
LIONS JOIN LATE
Rashford and Phillips delay England arrivals after FIVE stars withdraw
THE GREAL DEAL