Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits he was beaten by Mikel Arteta to the signing of Declan Rice.

City and Arsenal were battling for the former West Ham captain over the summer before ultimately agreed to join Arteta's Gunners.

Guardiola said: “For sure everybody knows City wanted him, we wanted him. 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..."

On Arteta, the City manager continued: “We worked together for two or three years with a lot of success. I said many times I learned a lot. And I was pretty convinced that he would be good for Arsenal because I knew him here, how he communicated with the players, his ideas. I was convinced.

“He's proof that when a club believes in something, when the board and sporting director decide the way they want to play and keep the manager to play that way, and sign the right players, it works. Sometimes you see it immediately and sometimes you need time.

“It happens when the people above you really believe in you and have patience and look at the training sessions and how things are building rather than just rely on results.

“If clubs only look at the result, that is the first step to being down. You have to rely on what the manager is doing rather than the results. Results will always be a consequence.

“Arsenal trusted him and the results are here. At the end, they have a manager for many years. He knows the club. He loves the club. Better than that is impossible."