Man City would love to have Arsenal’s Declan Rice as part of their squad.
The midfielder was one of the best players in the Premier League last season and was certainly the Gunners’ standout star as the Englishman did his best to help deliver a trophy to the fans of the North London club.
Man City were in the race for Rice before the 26-year-old completed his move to Arsenal during the summer of 2023, but with Rodri already at the club, spending over £100m on the midfielder could not be justified.
Despite all the Arsenal star has achieved over the last two years at the Emirates Stadium from an individual point of view, Nedum Onuoha believes one Man City star has been a better signing than the England international.
Jack Grealish has been a better signing than Declan Rice
Jack Grealish is set to leave Man City this summer as the winger is not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for the 2025/26 campaign, having experienced a tough season last time around.
The winger has not lived up to the £100m the Manchester club paid for his services four years ago, but having played a key role in City’s Treble-winning season, in addition to the other trophies they won, ESPN pundit Onuoha thinks Grealish has been a better signing than Rice for Arsenal.
“There is still a bit of time on Grealish’s contract to get that over the line,” Onouha jokingly said on ESPN FC, before being more serious. “If we are to be factual now, technically, Jack Grealish has been more worthwhile (than Declan Rice to Arsenal).
“That should not be forgotten. I know it is a really sour point, but in reality, as much as it seems that his time is up (at Man City). He has got quite a few medals and some of them came in a season where he was a big deal for City, where they won a treble.”
Many pundits expect Grealish to bounce back next season should the Englishman find a club where he will be guaranteed minutes, as the 29-year-old is undoubtedly a top talent.
Shay Given recently stated that Grealish was a “generational talent” and that the Man City star still has the ability to play for every club in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen which one he joins next.
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How Jack Grealish compares to Declan Rice
It is hard to compare Grealish to Rice as both play in different positions, but Onuoha’s point is largely based on the number of trophies both have won.
Since joining Man City in 2021, Grealish has acquired seven medals, which includes three in the Premier League and one Champions League title.
Unfortunately for Rice, the midfielder has yet to win a major trophy with Arsenal despite being one of the best players in England throughout the last two years.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
| Jack Grealish | 157 | 17 | 23 | 7 |
| Declan Rice | 103 | 16 | 20 | 0 |
From the perspective of the collective, Onuoha is technically correct that Grealish has been a better signing than Rice, as the winger has played his role in Man City being very successful over the last four years.
But individually, there is no doubt that the Arsenal star has been the standout of the two, and it is only a matter of time before the Englishman picks up medals of his own with the Gunners.
