Rio Ferdinand has shared a conversation he had with Declan Rice this week, following Arsenal’s win over Manchester City.

Last weekend, Declan Rice impressed in Arsenal’s late victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, shutting down a number of moves and playing positive football when in possession.

The midfielder was arguably unlucky not to get a goal, with Gabriel Jesus twice failing to get his head up and find the midfielder when very well placed for a cutback.

But Arsenal got the win in the end, and it was yet another individual display from Rice to justify the money spent on him over the summer.

Arsenal broke their transfer record to seal a £100m deal for Rice in July, with another £5m potentially due in add-ons.

Yet Rio Ferdinand believes the player’s performances have made that fee a distant memory, revealing what Rice said when he told him as much.

“You know what, I text Declan this morning and just said testament to you that no one’s talking about the price tag,” Ferdinand said (via Express).

“And his response was absolutely bang on. Declan said: ‘Come on, I was doing the same thing at West Ham, Ri, and no one wanted to speak about it’.

“It’s true. What I said about Jude Bellingham before, transferring the level of performance and impact on your team, he’s transferred that to Arsenal.”

It’s certainly true that Rice’s performances at Arsenal are nowhere near unprecedented.

The midfielder was putting in the same displays last season, and the only real difference was the level of the players around him.

Fortunately for both Arsenal and West Ham, Rice’s move has given the Gunners a boost and the Hammers funds that they’ve reinvested wisely to push up the table.

Both squads appear to be in a better position now than they were last season, thanks to Rice.