Declan Rice has stated that he never held conversations with Mason Mount about the best mates signing for the same club this summer.
Speculation was rife at the end of last season over whether the England teammates would link up via the transfer window, either at Mount’s old club Chelsea or their respective new clubs of Arsenal or Manchester United.
But Rice has insisted that both players were focused on their own futures having coincidentally come to a crossroads in their career at the same moment.
Speaking to ESPN, and quoted via Metro, he revealed: “I read loads of bits that said me and him were speaking, saying that we’d always end up at the same club, but it wasn’t like that at all.
“I’ve got to do what’s best for my career, Mase has got to do what’s best for his career.
“We never really had that chat, I know he was going through a tough time at Chelsea with a few things and of course I was there for him and he was there for me.
“But obviously my situation was very different compared to his.
“We support each other we are very happy for each other. I spoke to him the other night after the game, he’s so happy to be at United and I’m so happy to be here at Arsenal.”
Rice, 24, cost Arsenal £105million when joining from West Ham shortly after Mount’s £65m switch to United.
