Declan Rice knows exactly what to expect from moves to Manchester City or Arsenal.
Arsenal have led the race for his signature for some time and Mikel Arteta has explained how he can fit into the system at the Emirates and how important a player he can be. Should City turn their interest into a bid, the West Ham midfielder has spoken enough times to people about life at the Etihad to know what to expect there.
Anyone looking at the two clubs would see that there is more chance of Rice being an important player in North London. Arsenal came close to winning the title last season, are in the Champions League again, and see Rice as a key component in taking them to the next level.
City, to be blunt, don't need Rice anywhere near as much. Rodri established himself not only as the best holding midfielder in the game last season but also one of the fittest, playing an extraordinary amount of minutes.
Also read: Man City close in on first summer signing with Mateo Kovacic medical
The Blues are expected to have the same quality at centre-back when the new season begins and have already moved to bolster their midfield by signing Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic for an initial £25m. There is also Kalvin Phillips, Rice's international teammate who arrived last season for considerable money and is desperate to prove he belongs at the club after starting just four matches in his debut campaign.
However, the void left by Ilkay Gundogan is a sizable one. Rodri and Erling Haaland were the only outfield players to feature more than the club captain (3,843 minutes in all competitions) and those minutes will need accounting for.
Kovacic and Phillips will hope to do so and so too may John Stones and Phil Foden if their positions are tweaked, but fundamentally those minutes are up for grabs. It doesn't take many conversations to know that Pep Guardiola does not reserve places for anyone in the team: if you are good enough, you will play.
That will be the challenge Rice has to consider if City do present West Ham with an acceptable bid. He is almost certain to face the difficulties that many players have in their first years under Guardiola, but if he backs himself to rise to the demands asked of him by coaches who want him at the club because of the potential they believe he has then the opportunities for minutes are there.
It is more risk than it would be to join Arsenal, but the rewards - as City go for three more trophies in 2023 and aim to top their Treble-winning campaign - are also so much greater.
