"Mikel did better to seduce him" - Pep Guardiola offers honest opinion about missing out on Declan Rice to Arsenal

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that he held talks with Declan Rice prior to his move to Arsenal this summer. The Spanish manager admitted that his counterpart Mikel Arteta was more persuasive in his negotiations with the player.

The Gunners signed Rice from West Ham United this summer for a club-record fee worth £105 million, beating out interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United.

Guardiola admitted his side's interest in the England international before he signed for the north London outfit. The Spanish boss also claimed that Arsenal offered more than what Manchester City were willing to pay for the midfielder.

When asked whether he would liked to have seen Rice in a Manchester City jersey, he said in a recent interview with Sky Sports:

"We tried. I spoke with him. But Mikel did better to seduce him and their offer was higher than what we could offer to West Ham. He's a good choice."

The former Barcelona manager added:

"I spoke with him, and I guess Mikel spoke with him. At the end, the offer... maybe he had doubts. It's a question of Declan. At the end, I respect it completely. He went into a really, really, really good team. That's for sure."

Rice has impressed since his arrival at the Emirates. The England international has scored one goal in eight Premier League appearnaces for Arsenal this season. He has also registered two UEFA Champions League appearances for the Gunners this term.

---

"Come on, I was doing the same thing" - Arsenal summer signing sends emphatic message to Rio Ferdinand after Man City win

Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday, thanks to Gabriel Martinelli's thunderous second-half goal. The win saw the Gunners move clear of Manchester City into second place in the league table.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has now revealed that Rice sent him a message after the encounter. The retired defender initially DM'd the England international, claiming that no one was talking about his enormous price tag after his performance.

The former West Ham star's response was emphatic as he insisted that he has maintained the same form he had at his former club. Ferdinand said on YouTube show Vibe with Five:

"You know what, I text Declan this morning and just said testament to you, that no one’s talking about the price tag. 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’."

He added:

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