According to a report from Manchester Evening News, it was stated that Manchester City have renewed their interest in signing Declan Rice of West Ham United as they look to revamp their midfield department. It is understood that Rice could be a long-term replacement for Ilkay Gundogan whose contract expires at the end of this season.
Rice’s Campaign With West Ham United So Far This Season
Rice has struggled to be productive in the attacking third in this campaign but has done well to anchor the holding midfield positions defensively. He has only found the back of the net once and picked up three assists over 29 appearances for the Hammers this season in various competitions. However, the West Ham Captain deserves a lot of credit for having a solid presence in the central areas.
The English sensation has been more than reliable in the middle of the park averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 1.1 shots and 1.1 key passes per game in the Premier League. He has even been excellent when distributing possession to his teammates after completing 89.1% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Should Guardiola Bring Him To Manchester City?
Rice has a solid presence in the central areas as he adds more quality and brings more stability to the middle of the park. He excels at holding on to the ball and can make brilliant plays by making a few decisive passes down the middle. A player of such calibre would definitely bring more competition in the holding midfield positions at the Etihad Stadium.
The England skipper has also made it known that he would like to play in the UEFA Champions League next season, so Man City could be an exciting destination for him. Rice’s arrival would add more bite and steel to Guardiola’s midfield department and he could help them compete for major trophies to earn more silverware over the coming seasons.
However, it would require a huge offer to convince West Ham into selling one of its highly prized assets. The Mancunian giants will likely require more reinforcements in the central areas as Ilkay Gundogan’s contract expires at the end of this season and Bernardo Silva is looking to exit in the summer.
So if Man City sanctions Silva’s exit for a handsome fee then they could easily bring Rice on board in the summer transfer window. Moreover, Kalvin Phillips’ sale could also partly fund Rice’s transfer as the defensive midfielder has failed to create an impact at the Etihad Stadium. Although only time will tell whether Guardiola pushes for his signature at the end of this season.
