Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has heaped praise on an Arsenal player with whom he’s been really impressed.
Mikel Arteta has built a fantastic squad at Arsenal. The Gunners have challenged for the title two seasons in a row, and they came extremely close in the 2023-24 campaign – they fell just two points short of Manchester City.
Despite the sad end, there are a lot of positives to take for Arsenal.
The performances of some of their players were absolutely incredible, and Mainoo, who had a great season himself, has now raved about one of Arteta’s key men.
Kobbie Mainoo shares what it’s like playing next to Arsenal’s Declan Rice
There are a number of exceptional midfield players in the Premier League.
Mainoo joined that list with an excellent campaign in the 2023/24 season, and he has shown that he has the potential to become one of the best players in his position in the coming years.
The Manchester United youngster still has a lot to learn before he reaches the very top, and luckily for him, he has someone who can guide him to become incredible – Declan Rice.
Mainoo has been rubbing shoulders with the Arsenal man in the England camp, and the two of them have even played together.
Rice is arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League and is definitely someone Mainoo should be looking up to as he continues his development.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Mainoo was asked about Rice, and the Manchester United midfielder sang his praises.
He said, as relayed on HaytersTV: “Dec is such a good player, so reliable and so good on the ball and dominant in midfield, so when I did get to play with him it’s always a joy to have someone so strong on the ball next to you.
“You can always trust him no matter where you are on the pitch. Everyone knows he’s worth every penny, he’s such a good player. He’s proved that in the Premier League and also on the international level.
“[Playing alongside Rice], it frees me up a lot and allows me to also go forward and attack and I always know I can trust him there and when he goes I can sit for him as well. It’s a dream.”
England have an easy solution to fix their midfield woes
England started their Euro 2024 campaign with a win over Serbia, but they didn’t make it easy for themselves.
The Three Lions started with a midfield of Rice, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham. On paper, that is an unbelievable trio, but they didn’t work as well as they would’ve liked.
England have a tough test against Denmark next, and we think it would be a mistake for Gareth Southgate to go with the same midfield three.
Alexander-Arnold is exceptional on the ball, but there’s always the risk of opposition players hurting him in transitions.
The simple fix for England would be to bring Mainoo into the side.
He has shown at Manchester United that he can step up in big moments, and alongside a superstar like Rice, he could really thrive.