Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City would have been lambasted for spending £105million on Declan Rice had they signed him last summer.
Guardiola had targeted Rice for two years but lost out to Mikel Arteta, who persuaded the 24-year-old to join from West Ham.
The City boss even cheekily suggested Rice would have been useful to him in Sunday afternoon’s title pointer at the Emirates because his own main man Rodri is suspended.
‘Everybody knows we wanted Declan Rice, we could play him when Rodri could not play, but in the end Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more,’ said Guardiola.