Pep Guardiola certainly wasn’t short of choice when deciding to single out one of the players at Mikel Arteta’s disposal ahead of Sunday’s clash between Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
But there is one member of the Arsenal squad who, in the view of the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, would have been a target for pretty much every club in England’s top flight if money was no object.
A player who could yet bridge the gap between second and first for a Gunners side who, top on goal difference as things stand, may be trading in their bridesmaid outfits before wearing something wide come the end of May.
Pep Guardiola singles out one Arsenal star
“I think all the teams in the Premier League would have (wanted to) sign Declan Rice,” Guardiola said at his Friday press conference, via The Metro.
Rice has been the driving force behind Arsenal’s latest title charge, the former West Ham United captain arguably the most influential central midfielder to don the famous red and white shirt since Patrick Vieira’s heydey.
By the way Chelsea, this is what a £100 million-plus signing looks like. While Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have provided the odd glimpse of talent, Rice is producing 8/10 performances week-in, week-out.
“Everybody knows that we wanted him,” Guardiola said back in October, Arsenal’s eventual £105 million bid – plus Rice’s desire to stay in London – putting pay to Man City’s own pursuit of the England intenrational.
“In the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more. Maybe Mikel was more convincing than me or the club itself. Or the offer that they got, we believed in that position we could not reach it. We could not afford it.
“We could afford it maybe less (than Arsenal).”
Ever-present for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League challengers
Rice has started every one of Arsenal’s 28 league games so far. A tally of six goals and six assists from his box-to-box role, meanwhile, ensures that this is already the most potent season of Rice’s career from an attacking perspective, that long-range rocket against former employers West Ham a potential Goal of the Season candidate.
“He’s brought dynamism, physicality, quality, intelligence, maturity. He’s the complete package in midfield, in my opinion,” former Gunners skipper Cesc Fabregas tells BBC Sport of Rice.
“He can play also as a double-pivot, he can play by himself. He can play higher up as a number eight, and I think he looks like a very intelligent boy.
“Listen, I don’t know what will happen on Sunday, but he gives you that trust that, in midfield, in big games, you want players who take responsibility, have personality. Players who you can trust. Especially against a top Manchester City team when they have so many players in midfield with so much quality.
“I think Arsenal, when they have Declan in there, they feel safe. That’s a very big plus for the team.”