Pep Guardiola reveals why Man City lost out to Arsenal in Declan Rice transfer

Pep Guardiola believes Declan Rice moved to Arsenal instead of Manchester City because the Gunners pushed harder for his signature.

Arsenal signed Rice for a club-record fee of £105million, outbidding City to sign the England international, with Mikel Arteta making him a key part of his side this season as they aim to go one better than last term, when they finished runners-up to the Blues.

City made a bid worth £90million for Rice, but they refused to match Arsenal's offers for the 24-year-old and he has made an impressive start to his Emirates career.

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Guardiola would certainly have benefitted from having Rice available this weekend, with Rodri missing as he serves the final game of his three-match domestic ban after being sent-off against Nottingham Forest. But the City boss believes this weekend's opponents made a more compelling case to Rice, while his own club struggled to match the offer after spending £77.6million on Joskvo Gvardiol.

“Everybody knows that we wanted him," Guardiola said of Rice ahead of Sunday's Emirates showdown. "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 because we [bought] Josko. We could not afford it. We could afford it maybe less… that’s why.”

The deal to sign Rice was one of a spending spree of more than £200million from Arsenal, who also signed Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, as well as a loan with an option to buy deal for goalkeeper David Raya.

City spent a similar sum in their window, bringing in Mateo