Declan Rice has revealed why he chose to join Arsenal over Manchester City last summer, as the Premier League title race looks set to go down to the wire.
After having lifted the Europa Conference League as West Ham United captain, Rice had a decision to make in June 2023: move up north to Manchester, or make the five mile journey from the London Stadium to the Emirates Stadium.
Ultimately, he decided on the latter, with Arsenal paying £105m for the England midfielder – blowing the £90m bid from Manchester City out of the water.
Rice chose Arsenal over City (Image credit: Getty Images)
But while he missed out on the opportunity to play alongside Rodri at Manchester City, a player he claims is “the best in the world”, Rice highlights the key reason behind his move to the Emirates Stadium.
“I know [I could have played with Rodri]. But this project seemed more exciting and that’s why I chose to come to Arsenal, because I believe we’re on to big things here,” Rice told The Athletic.
Since joining Arsenal, Rice has developed into one of their key players as they look to prise the Premier League title away from Manchester City. The Gunners are currently top of the table with three games remaining, albeit their rivals are just a point behind with one game in hand.
Rice is full of admiration for Rodri (Image credit: Getty Images)
Regardless, the 25-year-old clearly relishes the big games and presure, especially against Rodri. While recognising the different styles they have as midfielders, Rice also expresses his enjoyment at coming up against the Spaniard.
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“With Rodri, he was born in Spain, he’s always been a natural No 6. You can just tell by the way he plays that he’s worked under Pep (Guardiola) for so long,” Rice added. “He’s a lot more structured than I am. I’d say I’m a lot more off-the-cuff. Obviously, this season I’ve been more structured. But in terms of the way I play, I feel like… being free a little bit more.
“There are different things that we complement each other on – but no doubt, he’s the best in the world.”
