Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Manchester City wanted Declan Rice, and not just as an alternative to Rodri in their midfield.
Confirming the transfer rumours over the summer, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola told the media that his club were indeed hoping to sign Declan Rice ahead of Arsenal.
The City manager also admitted that Rice wouldn’t just have been a squad addition, and he could have been used even when Rodri was available.
“For sure everybody knows City wanted him, we wanted him. He could play, not just when Rodri could not,” Guardiola said.
“At the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more, maybe Arteta was more convincing than me, or the club itself, or their offer…”
Ahead of the match between the two clubs on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal fans will certainly be pleased to have Rice on their side.
Though Guardiola says himself that Rice wouldn’t have been used as a Rodri alternative, Rodri’s suspension is undoubtedly a lot more impactful because they don’t have the Arsenal man in their squad.
City weren’t the only rival club after Rice, with Manchester United and Chelsea also showing an interest.
Bayern Munich club president Herbert Hainer recently confirmed to the media that they were initially after the midfielder, pulling out over the finances involved.
“With the Declan Rice deal, given our financial possibilities, we had to set other priorities,” Hainer said. “What remains is the club. That’s why you have to make decisions in the interests of the club.”
Chelsea had attempted to sign Rice in the January transfer window, and reports suggest the player was initially open to the move. But he wasn’t sold by their pitch, and he worried (correctly) that Graham Potter would soon be sacked.
By contrast, Mikel Arteta gave Rice a lengthy hands-on presentation, making it clear to the 24-year-old he would be a staple of the team for several seasons if all goes to plan.
Rice was won over by Arteta’s proposal, making the Gunners his priority as Manchester City, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich faded out of contention.