On the face of things, Manchester City rivalling Arsenal for the signing of Declan Rice does come as somewhat of a surprise.
With Rodri, Kalvin Phillips and now John Stones following a role change towards the end of the season just gone, the Cityzens are not exactly short of options when it comes to the defensive midfield department and when factoring in they have a deal in place for Mateo Kovacic, it does pose the question as to what the plan would be for the 24-year-old at the Etihad Stadium.
However, when recalling what Pep Guardiola has said about the West Ham United captain and England international, all of a sudden their interest makes a great deal of sense and perhaps it's a reason why Gunners supporters should be concerned with regard to the potential outcome of this transfer saga.
"Declan Rice is an excellent young player and he will be a top English player for many years to come," the Spaniard said of Rice during the 2018/2019 campaign and he evidently has been keeping an eye on the midfielder's progress ever since after praising him once again a few months ago.
"West Ham maybe didn’t do in the Premier League this season they expected like they have for the past two seasons, but David Moyes has been exceptional and that doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there," he added. "The quality is there. At set-pieces they are maybe one of the best, scored three goals against Crystal Palace in their last match, they attack the channels with Antonio and Bowen, Declan Rice is an exceptional player."
Clearly a fan of the player, one can only assume that Guardiola would figure out a system that enables Rice to play regularly were he to make the move to Man City as the England star alongside Rodri in a midfield double pivot immediately becomes a possibility among other scenarios.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta, Edu or Stan Kroenke - Who is to blame for Arsenal's Declan Rice transfer disaster?
Now, it should be stressed that the north London outfit remain firmly in the race for the 24-year-old. This is despite developments on Thursday which triggered a meltdown amongst some supporters on social media amid reports of City preparing an offer for the midfielder.
In fact, football.london understands Arsenal will get the deal done - regardless of Man City's attempts - as long as they match the asking price set by West Ham for Rice. And having already seen two offers rejected, a third bid is thought to be imminent and it remains to be seen if there's finally a breakthrough.
The advantage that the Gunners do hold is Rice's preference to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium thus enabling him to stay in the capital but until a fee is agreed upon with West Ham the longer the door remains ajar for Man City - or even Manchester United - to swoop in for Mikel Arteta's priority summer signing.
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