Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag praises Rice but does not regret signing Mason Mount.
Declan Rice opted to move to Arsenal instead of Manchester United last summer to play under Mikel Arteta.
Rice has been instrumental in Arsenal’s title challenge, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists this season.
Erik ten Hag, United’s manager, feels Rice would have been a good fit for the team but is happy with Mason Mount despite his injury struggles.
“He (Rice) is a very good player and he would absolutely have fitted in here. But it is not I am not happy with Mason. This is what you are suggesting. I am very happy with Mason and he is also a very robust player.
“You see in his profile: he played in his last four seasons – this is the fifth – in the last four seasons he only had only a small (injury) issue at the end of his Chelsea career. Before that, he played almost all the games, three seasons after each other, with three days turnaround, he always played.
“It is really bad luck what happened and he is a really good player. We really missed him across the game, he absolutely could have had a contribution to our levels.”
Arsenal, led by Arteta, are on a four-game winning streak in the Premier League and will face Manchester United next in a crucial match for both teams.