Rice on why he joined Arsenal over Man City, Chelsea

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has opened up on why he chose to move to Emirates Stadium over Man City and Chelsea.

Rice in his statement admitted manager Mikel Arteta played an integral role in his decision to leave West Ham for Arsenal.

Recall that the Gunners defeated their Premier League rivals to sign Rice in a £105 million deal in the last summer transfer window.

At some point during the summer, the Citizens were believed to be favourites to sign Rice, especially after they won the treble under Pep Guardiola.

Rice has now revealed that the prospect of playing under Arteta was a key factor behind his move to north London.

Rice told Channel 4: “I have to say the manager, Mikel. I think just from the moment that I met him, I knew he was the one I wanted to take on the next part of my career.

“Just the way he spoke, his aura, the way he sees the game, the way he wants to play football, and I think we’ve seen Arsenal the way they’ve played the last two years, the way they’ve played as a team, I really see myself fitting in.”