Declan Rice names four top defensive midfielders in Europe, ft. Rodri & Partey | OneFootball

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There's absolutely no doubt Declan Rice is one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet. After inspiring West Ham to a European trophy last season, the Englishman secured a big-money move to Arsenal and is already justifying his £105 million price tag.

Indeed, the 24-year-old scored the winner at the Emirates to help the Gunners beat Manchester United recently and was deservedly named the club's Player of the Month for August. Added to this, Rice has become one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's teamsheet for England and is already closing in on 50 international caps.

A player of Rice's calibre is, therefore, pretty qualified when it comes to talking about defensive midfielders. The Gunners star has previously spoken about his admiration for the likes of Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane but he's now revealed which of football's current crop of number sixes he admires the most.

Speaking to Joe Cole in an interview with Channel 4, Rice opened up about his recent move to Arsenal and his future aspirations with England. Asked which players he sees as 'top of his position in the world,' Rice was quick to name four players. While he didn't rank these individuals from 1-4, he did offer some insight into why he admires these players. Find out who he picked below.

No room for Casemiro

Before we get into Rice's choices, we're picking out a few exceptional defensive midfielders who he didn't give a mention to.

Manchester United star Casemiro has been among the best holding midfielders in the world for years now. The Brazilian won multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid before joining the Red Devils last season.

While some assumed the midfielder may be past his best, Casemiro has proven to be an inspired signing and played a starring role as United won last season's League Cup and qualified for the Champions League.

Rice also failed to give a mention to Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich. The 28-year-old has made more than 350 appearances for the German side and has been a first-team regular since 2015.

Renowned for his precise passing and composure on the ball, Kimmich has often been compared to German legend Phillip Lahm, who also spent the majority of his career at Bayern Munich.

Rodri

Moving on to players Rice did mention and it'll come as little surprise that Manchester City star Rodri was the first player to receive credit.

"The main one in the Premier League is Rodri," Rice said. "He's incredible. The way he works. The way he keeps that Man City team ticking. Top player."

It's hard to argue with Rice on this one. The Spaniard is arguably Man City's most integral player and was instrumental in their treble-winning campaign last year.

In fact, Rodri was named the Man of the Mach in the Champions League final and was named as the tournament's Player of the Season.

I see a lot of [Sergio] Busquets in Rodri," Barcelona manager Xavi once said. "He's very intelligent, understands the game, and is always in the right place at the right time."

Similarly, PSG manager Luis Enrique, who formerly coached Spain, once stressed: "Rodri is a player who can do it all – break up play, distribute the ball, and provide defensive stability."

Thomas Partey

Next up, Rice named his Arsenal teammate Partey as someone else he admires greatly. "Partey when I first came to Arsenal was incredible and has been up until his injury," he emphasised.

The England star has already forged a solid understanding with the Ghanaian international, with Mikel Arteta choosing to use Partey in more of an inverted full-back role for the most part so far this season.

However, Partey is equally capable of playing in the same role as Rice and his versatility is what makes him such an asset to the Gunners. As Arteta once said: "Partey is the kind of midfielder every coach dreams of having. He can win the ball, start attacks, and dominate the middle of the park."

Jamie Carragher is another to have lauded the ability of Partey. "Partey is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. His ability to control the tempo and break up opposition play is outstanding," he said on Sky Sports.

Aurélien Tchouaméni

Moving away from the Premier League, Rice highlighted Real Madrid youngster Tchouaméni as one of the most exciting talents about.

"Tchouaméni at Real Madrid. He's a youngster as well but he's aggressive, gets on the ball, goes forward with it – he's very good."

The Frenchman has been highly regarded for a few years now and is considered one of the most promising youngsters in Europe. Having signed for Madrid in 2022 for a fee reported to be around €80 million, he successfully filled the boots of Casemiro – playing 50 times for Los Blancos in all competitions.

The 23-year-old also has 27 French caps to his name and scored a fantastic long-range effort against England in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

Jorginho

The final player Rice named was Italian midfielder Jorginho, which may come as a surprise to many. While the ex-Chelsea star placed third in the 2021 Ballon d'Or, he is widely considered to be past his best now and has been largely used as an impact sub since joining Arsenal last season.

However, Rice admitted he was shocked at just how good the Italian was when he joined the club. "The one that surprised me, I knew he was such a good player anyway, but playing with him every day in training and seeing how he is, because he's not the biggest, is Jorginho.

"His brain, the way it works as a holding midfielder, I've been trying to pick up little bits from him. He's always in position, always knows when to pass, and always creates time for himself. He's an outstanding trainer and I've been trying to take little bits from his game."

Very high praise indeed from one of the top midfield players in the world. With Arsenal fighting for trophies on four fronts this season, including the Champions League, Jorginho could prove to be a vital player for the Gunners, even if he's not a first-choice starter.