Arsenal star Declan Rice has named Manchester City midfielder Rodri as one of the best players in the Premier League in a recent interview.

When asked who he thinks the best players in England’s top division currently are, he cited Rodri’s work rate and the ‘way he keeps that Man City team ticking’ as his reasons for naming Rodri.

Both Rodri and Rice are defensive midfielders with very similar skill sets – perhaps this is a case of Rice admiring his contemporary’s work?

Speaking to Channel 4 Sport, Rice said [via YouTube]: “Obviously, the main one [player] in the Premier League is Rodri, he’s incredible. What a player he is, the way he works, the way he keeps that Man City team ticking, you know he is a top player.”

Is Rodri the best player at Manchester City?

Comparing Rodri to Manchester City’s more attack-minded players, such as Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, is somewhat difficult.

They are all very different players – moreover, they are all extremely effective in their designated roles. We would probably place Rodri ahead of Grealish, but arguing his case over the likes of De Bruyne and Haaland – two of the best players in the world – is a tough ask.

Where does Rodri rank amongst the other top players in the Premier League?

Rodri is certainly one of the best players in the Premier League at this moment – even if he is not the best player that Manchester City have to offer.

He and Rice are certainly the two best defensive midfielders in the Premier League – given Rodri’s pedigree and consistency, he would likely get the nod over the England international at this point in their respective careers.

Does this make Rodri the best defensive midfielder in the world? Perhaps – he still must contend with talents such as Aurelien Tchouameni, Joshua Kimmich and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

Of course, Rodri has an advantage over the three names we have just mentioned – last season, he won the treble by collecting the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

This seems to indicate that Rodri is currently the best holding player in world football – at the age of 27, he is just approaching his prime.