Pep Guardiola has openly acknowledged Declan Rice’s exceptional talent, conceding that he is a player coveted by every club, especially after Arsenal secured his signing, defeating Guardiola’s Manchester City in the process.
Rice had garnered significant attention from both Arsenal and Manchester City during the summer transfer window, following his instrumental role in helping West Ham secure victory in the Europa Conference League.
The midfielder’s rapid development in the Premier League while with West Ham caught the eye of many, prompting Arsenal to make their move for him soon after the conclusion of the previous season.
Despite interest from City, Rice had already set his sights on a move to Arsenal even before an official approach was made. When City attempted to intervene and hijack the transfer, the midfielder remained steadfast in his desire to join Arsenal, showing little interest in a move to the Etihad.
Ultimately, Rice made a record-breaking move to Arsenal and has since made a significant impact at the Emirates.
In his pre-match presser this weekend, Guardiola spoke about the midfielder and said, as quoted by Express Sport:
“He made his decision, a good one, and good luck. All the teams in the Premier League would have signed Declan Rice.
“He’s an international captain for the national team of England and a young player playing a lot of games regularly. That’s why Arsenal pushed the way they pushed.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Rice has been a fantastic signing and Guardiola is right, he will walk into any starting XI in Europe.
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