Declan Rice made a veiled jab at Manchester City when he gave his explanation of why he chose to sign with Arsenal over the English champions.
Last summer, Man City and Arsenal fought it out for Rice’s signature.
For the second consecutive summer, Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta will compete for another Premier League star.
Rice signed a contract with the Gunners for a club-record £105 million, and as his team pursues the championship, the midfielder has flourished this year.
However, he might have been at the opposite end of the championship race, which would have put him and Rodri in the center of the park.
“I know,” he said when asked about potentially playing alongside Rodri this campaign.
The 25-year-old went on to discuss why he chose to sign a contract with Arsenal rather than Manchester City.
“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,” he explained.
Rice acknowledges that his opponent is the “best in the world” in that role and has enjoyed their sparring matches.
“It’s good, I enjoy it,” he added. “We’re different players, I feel. 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. He’s a lot more structured than I am.
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“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.”
This season, Rice has made 35 appearances in the league and scored six goals. His contribution to Arsenal’s title challenge, which aims to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004, has been crucial.
