in the ever-evolving landscape of Premier League football, few positions have garnered as much attention recent seasons as the defensive midfield role. The modern game’s emphasis on possession and transition has elevated the importance of the number six position, with two titans of the role—Manchester City’s Rodri and Arsenal’s Declan Rice—frequently drawing comparisons from pundits, managers, and fans alike.
Rice, whose transformation from West Ham captain to Arsenal lynchpin has coincided with the Gunners’ resurgence as Premier League title contenders, has established himself as one of the world’s premier midfielders. His match-winning performances in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign this season have only strengthened his reputation as a midfield dynamo capable of dictating play from deep while breaking forward with devastating effect when opportunities arise.
Yet despite Rice’s undeniable excellence, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has added fuel to the ongoing debate by emphatically choosing Rodri as the superior midfielder when posed the question during a recent interview with YouTuber Thogden.
“Rodri, without hesitation,” Rooney stated bluntly when asked to pick between the two midfield generals. The former England captain’s decisive response comes as little surprise to those who have witnessed Rodri’s instrumental role in Manchester City’s domestic dominance under Pep Guardiola.
As a player who lined up alongside midfield stalwarts like Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves during his illustrious career, Rooney’s insight carries significant weight. His immediate selection of Rodri over Rice reflects the Spaniard’s almost unparalleled consistency and tactical discipline that has formed the foundation of City’s success.
Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph further validates Rooney’s assessment, with the Spanish international becoming the first defensive midfielder since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 to claim football’s most prestigious individual honor. This achievement stands as testament to his extraordinary influence on Manchester City’s system and the broader evolution of the position.
What makes the Rice-Rodri comparison particularly fascinating is the contrasting ways in which they interpret the defensive midfield role. While both excel in breaking up opposition attacks and recycling possession, their approaches differ significantly in execution.
Rice has often been characterized as an “out-and-out destroyer,” combining physical presence with intelligent positioning to shield his back four. His ability to cover ground quickly makes him adept at both sweeping up dangers and transitioning defense into attack with progressive carrying and passing. Since joining Arsenal, Rice has added more attacking dimensions to his game, occasionally pushing forward to contribute goals and assists—a development that has transformed him from a pure defensive shield into a more complete box-to-box presence.
Rodri, meanwhile, operates as the metronome of Manchester City’s possession-based philosophy. His spatial awareness and technical security under pressure allow him to dictate tempo from deep, often serving as the conduit between defense and attack. While perhaps not possessing Rice’s explosive athleticism, Rodri’s reading of the game and tactical intelligence compensate abundantly, enabling him to make crucial interventions without necessarily relying on physical dominance.
The statistics underline their differing approaches. In 2024 across all competitions, Rodri has contributed nine assists—second only to teammate Kevin De Bruyne among Premier League midfielders—highlighting his creative influence despite operating from a nominally defensive position. Rice, with seven assists in the same period, has demonstrated his own playmaking capabilities while maintaining his defensive solidity.
Interestingly, Rice himself appears to acknowledge the excellence of his City counterpart. Speaking last March, the England international revealed a chance meeting with Rodri while on holiday in Ibiza that led to a friendly conversation between the rivals.
“He was with a group of friends and we were next to him,” Rice recounted. “As footballers, when you see other footballers out, you always end up talking, and it was great to talk to him.”
Far from being reluctant to praise his rival, Rice was effusive in his admiration: “I’m a big admirer of him. He’s playing for Man City, I’m playing for Arsenal, we’re battling it out. He’s a fantastic player, he plays game after game, he’s got the trophies to his name as well. I’ll never say a bad word about him.”
Rice’s comments suggest a mutual respect between the two midfielders that transcends their clubs’ fierce rivalry. The Arsenal star even revealed that Manchester City players have confided in him during England duty that their team is “not the same side” without Rodri—perhaps the ultimate testament to the Spaniard’s importance.
The Transfer That Could Have Been
The Rice-Rodri narrative carries additional intrigue when considering that Arsenal’s midfield linchpin could have easily ended up wearing sky blue instead of red. Pep Guardiola confirmed City’s interest in Rice before his £105 million move from West Ham to Arsenal in the summer of 2023.
“For sure everybody knows City wanted him, we wanted him,” Guardiola admitted in October 2023. “He could play not just when Rodri could not. At the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more. Maybe Arteta was more convincing than me, or the club itself, or their offer.”
This revelation adds a fascinating “what if” layer to the Premier League’s competitive landscape. A midfield partnership of Rodri and Rice could have been formidable, potentially combining the Spaniard’s metronomic control with the Englishman’s dynamic presence. Instead, Rice’s decision to join Arsenal has helped transform the Gunners into legitimate title challengers, creating a more competitive Premier League in the process.
Former City midfielder Yaya Touré—himself one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever central midfielders—has also weighed in on the debate, siding with Rooney in preferring Rodri. Touré’s assessment carries particular significance given his own transformative impact on the English game during his prime years at the Etihad.
De Bruyne’s Crossroads: A New Chapter Beckons
While the Rice-Rodri comparison captures significant attention, another midfield story is developing at Manchester City that could reshape the club’s future. Kevin De Bruyne, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, appears set to bring his illustrious decade-long City career to a close this summer.
The Belgian maestro, who has orchestrated City’s attack with unparalleled vision and execution since his arrival in 2015, is yet to receive a contract extension offer from the club. At 33, De Bruyne finds himself at a career crossroads, with reports suggesting Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire are leading the race for his signature.
De Bruyne hopes to finalize his future by the end of May, with a decision needed before the FIFA Club World Cup. His potential departure would mark the end of an era at the Etihad Stadium, where his creative brilliance has been central to the club’s most successful period in history.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie O’Hara has raised eyebrows by suggesting that Arsenal should make a bold move for the Belgian playmaker. Speaking on Sky Sports News, O’Hara advocated for Mikel Arteta to leverage his previous working relationship with De Bruyne from their time together at City.
“Mikel Arteta knows him, should get straight on the phone and say ‘come and sign for Arsenal, we’ll win the league with you. I’m going to sign a striker, I’m going to have you in midfield. We’ll sort it out between you and Odegaard,'” O’Hara proposed.
“They’ve got Champions League football. I would be straight on the phone, give him whatever he wants because he is a winner, he knows how to win, and he is still a top player.”
De Bruyne himself left the door open to remaining in the Premier League during comments last month, prompting interest from Aston Villa alongside potential suitors from Saudi Arabia and the United States. However, a move to direct title rivals Arsenal would represent a seismic shift in the Premier League’s power dynamics.
Despite O’Hara’s enthusiasm, Arsenal fans appear less convinced by the prospect of signing De Bruyne. Concerns about the midfielder’s age and recent injury record have dominated social media responses to the suggestion. One Arsenal supporter bluntly commented: “Arsenal is not a senior day care center. We don’t need leftovers!”
Another concern centers on De Bruyne’s pressing ability, with fans questioning whether he could adapt to Arteta’s high-intensity system at this stage of his career. The Belgian has missed significant portions of recent seasons through injury, raising doubts about his durability for a team with ambitions of dethroning his current employers.
Legacy and Future: The Evolving Midfield Landscape
Both the Rice-Rodri comparison and De Bruyne’s uncertain future reflect broader developments in how Premier League clubs are approaching midfield construction. The defensive midfielder’s role has evolved dramatically from the purely destructive “water carrier” of previous eras into a position that often serves as the tactical fulcrum of elite teams.
Rice and Rodri represent slightly different interpretations of this evolution. While Rodri exemplifies the Spanish-influenced positional play model that prioritizes technical security and spatial awareness, Rice embodies a more dynamic, traditionally English approach that combines physicality with increasingly refined technical qualities.
For De Bruyne, the question is less about stylistic evolution and more about career trajectory. His situation highlights the difficult decisions facing both clubs and players when legendary figures approach the latter stages of their careers. City’s apparent reluctance to offer a new contract suggests a forward-looking approach that prioritizes renewal over sentiment—a philosophy that has underpinned much of their success under Guardiola.
Should De Bruyne depart, it would accelerate City’s midfield transition, with Phil Foden potentially assuming greater creative responsibilities alongside emerging talents like Rico Lewis. Arsenal, meanwhile, continue to build around the Rice-Odegaard axis that has transformed their midfield from a perennial weakness into one of the Premier League’s most formidable units.
Statistical Comparisons and Tactical Influence
Beyond the subjective assessments of figures like Rooney and Touré, statistical metrics offer additional insight into the Rice-Rodri debate. Across the 2024 calendar year, De Bruyne leads Premier League players with 14 assists across all competitions, followed by Rodri with nine and Rice with seven.
These numbers tell only part of the story, however. Defensively, both Rice and Rodri excel in different metrics—the Arsenal man often posting higher tackle and interception counts, while Rodri typically records superior passing accuracy and positional discipline statistics.
Perhaps most tellingly, both Manchester City and Arsenal experience noticeable performance drops when their respective midfield anchors are absent. City’s rare defeats often coincide with Rodri’s unavailability, while Arsenal’s most inconsistent stretches frequently align with Rice missing through injury or suspension.
This “absence effect” demonstrates the tactical dependency both clubs have developed on their midfield generals. It also explains why figures like Rooney and Touré consider Rodri slightly superior—his influence appears even more pronounced when he’s not on the pitch, with City’s possession control and defensive stability often suffering noticeably without him.
The Manager Factor: Guardiola and Arteta’s Midfield Visions
The Rice-Rodri narrative is inseparable from the tactical approaches of their respective managers. Pep Guardiola has refined the defensive midfield role throughout his managerial career, from Sergio Busquets at Barcelona to Rodri at City. His system demands exceptional positional discipline, press resistance, and distribution from the number six position.
Mikel Arteta, having learned under Guardiola, has implemented many similar principles at Arsenal while adapting them to suit different personnel. Rice’s deployment at Arsenal represents a blend of traditional Premier League physicality with the positional and technical requirements of the Guardiola school.
This coaching connection adds another layer to the Rice-Rodri comparison. In many ways, Rice’s development under Arteta can be seen as an attempt to cultivate Rodri-like qualities within a different physical and technical profile. The success of this project has been evident in Rice’s expanded passing range and improved positioning since joining Arsenal.
For De Bruyne, the managerial factor could prove decisive in his next move. Having thrived under Guardiola’s guidance, a reunion with Arteta—with whom he worked for three seasons at City—might offer an appealing continuity of tactical understanding. However, Arsenal’s system would likely demand a modified role that accommodates both his creative genius and the team’s pressing requirements.
Conclusion: Excellence in Different Forms
The ongoing debate around Rice and Rodri ultimately celebrates two extraordinary talents who have mastered the defensive midfield role in slightly different ways. Wayne Rooney’s preference for Rodri aligns with broader recognition of the Spaniard’s exceptional positional discipline and tactical intelligence, qualities that have earned him football’s highest individual honor.
Rice, meanwhile, continues to evolve into a more complete midfielder whose influence extends beyond the traditional confines of the number six position. His importance to Arsenal’s resurgence cannot be overstated, with his performances helping transform the Gunners from top-four contenders into legitimate title challengers.
As for Kevin De Bruyne, his next career move will be watched with keen interest across the football world. Whether he pursues a new challenge in MLS, considers a controversial switch to a Premier League rival, or explores opportunities elsewhere, his legacy as one of Manchester City’s greatest-ever players is already secure.
What remains clear is that the Premier League continues to showcase midfield talent of the highest caliber. The Rice-Rodri debate and De Bruyne’s uncertain future represent different facets of the same story—the central importance of midfield excellence to success at the highest level of English football.
For now, Rooney’s verdict stands: Rodri edges Rice in the battle of the Premier League’s elite defensive midfielders. But with both players still approaching their peak years, this fascinating comparison seems destined to continue for seasons to come—to the benefit of fans, analysts, and the tactical evolution of the game itself.
