In a recent report, The Athletic mentioned that Manchester City could move in for West Ham United skipper Declan Rice. It has been claimed that Man City will move in for the England international if they lose Illkay Gundogan this summer.
Rice’s Excellent Form At The London Stadium Last Season
Rice enjoyed a successful season at the East London club as he managed to put in a series of impressive performances at the heart of David Moyes’ midfield. His incredible contributions helped West Ham clinch the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy earlier this summer. The 24-year-old found the back of the net five times and earned four assists in 50 matches for West Ham in the previous campaign in all competitions.
The English sensation has been a decent performer in both halves based on his average of 2.1 shots, 1.7 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 1.0 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from midfield after completing 88% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at West Ham is set to run out in the summer of 2024 which could open the door for Man City to snap him up in this off-season.
What Will Rice Bring To Manchester City?
Rice is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to secure possession back for his team in the middle of the park. He usually clears his lines when required and is a tidy passer of the ball as well. The English talent can make a few energetic runs with the ball in the opponent’s half and can shoot the ball with power from long range.
Someone with Rice’s skillset and quality will no doubt be a welcome addition to Man City boss Pep Guardiola‘s squad. He is good enough to earn a regular starting spot at the Etihad Stadium next season.
Rice could go on to form a dominant midfield partnership with Rodri at the Mancunian club in the coming years. We can expect him to bring more bite and steel to Guardiola’s midfield. He already knows the Premier League well by now and could help Man City compete for many more major honours over the next decade.
