{
  "id": 18303151,
  "title": "Berbatov names three midfielders better than Arsenal's Declan Rice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/berbatov-names-three-midfielders-better-than-arsenals-declan-rice",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T11:21:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/05/berbatov-names-three-midfielders-better-than-arsenals-declan-rice/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dimitar Berbatov, a former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker, has named three midfielders he believes outshine Arsenal's Declan Rice. The Bulgarian international singled out Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, and Manchester City's Rodri as the midfielders he considers to be among the best at the moment. Despite Rice's impressive performance in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Liverpool, Berbatov maintains that the English midfielder is still not in the same league as the three players he mentioned.\n\nIn an interview with Metro, Berbatov praised Rice's contribution to Arsenal, describing him as a dependable leader with outstanding energy on the field. He acknowledged Rice's importance to Arsenal's team, but still believes Vitinha, Bellingham, and Rodri are superior midfielders currently. Berbatov also expressed concerns about Rice's workload, suggesting that Arsenal should consider giving him some rest time as the busy festive fixture schedule approaches. He believes managing Rice's playing time could help keep him fresh for the critical matches ahead.\n\nMeanwhile, Rice continues to be a key player for Arsenal, recently starring in the Gunners' 1-0 win over Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League, where he completed the entire 90 minutes. As Arsenal prepares for their upcoming fixture against Hull City, Arteta will have to decide whether to continue relying on Rice or give him a well-deserved break.",
  "summary": "Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov has identified three midfielders he believes are currently ahead of Arsenal star Declan Rice. The former Bulgarian international named Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Manchester City's Rodri as his preferred midfielders, despite Rice's impressive performance in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}