Manchester City have bid £90m for West Ham captain Declan Rice. Having upset the Gunners to win the Premier League the season before, Manchester City is aiming to outbid Arsenal on Rice. The deal includes £10 million extra on top of the initial £80 million. West Ham’s evaluation of the offer falls short, and early indications suggest that it will be turned down. Arsenal is still after Rice, and West Ham expected them to submit a third offer after their first two bids were turned down. Manchester City target Declan Rice is leaving West Ham after helping them win their first European championship in 58 years. Hammers chairman David Sullivan claims that Rice’s contract contains a gentleman’s agreement that permits him to leave even if there are still one year left on it with the chance of an additional one year.
Rice moved from Chelsea to West Ham’s academy as a young player, and he has been there consistently ever since his breakthrough season in 2017–18. He became the leader last year after Mark Noble retired. This season, the 24-year-old played in 50 games across all divisions and competitions. He assisted West Ham in winning the Europa Conference League in Prague and finishing in 14th position in the Premier League. Rice has played more than 200 games for West Ham and accrued 41 caps for England since making his international debut in 2019. Rice is coveted by Manchester United, and there have been internal discussions about whether a transfer may be permitted.
United is prohibited by Financial Fair Play restrictions from investing a considerable amount of its funds in a single player, especially given that they have other areas they desire to strengthen. West Ham has agreed to let Rice depart this summer, but they will only do so if a deal for £120 million is made. City’s presence increases the likelihood that they will compete with Arsenal in the bidding process and that West Ham will accept a lesser offer.
For Manchester City last season, Rodri made 52 starts, and his game-winning strike in the Champions League culminated an excellent year for both he and his team. Even though he only turned 26 years old, Pep Guardiola’s favourite and the finest defensive midfielder in the Premier League is already expected to play a significant role in the Man City team’s success for many years to come. So why are the three-time winners in such a rush to get Declan Rice from West Ham? The fact is that Rice, rather than serving as a fallback, backup, or replacement for Rodri, possesses the attributes to make for a fantastic counterpoint. Although Kalvin Phillips has struggled to play since joining Man City, his English teammate appears to have a berth in Guardiola’s starting eleven.
During the previous season, Rico Lewis, Kyle Walker, and most recently John Stones all transitioned from out-of-possession defence responsibilities into midfield to play with Rodri. Guardiola made a shrewd tactical choice by placing a second player for City in that critical part of the pitch, and it paid off handsomely. Its success was evident by the end of the season when clubs from around the league started trying to replicate it. Rice, who ranked first in the Premier League last season for recoveries, interceptions, and carrying the ball the longest, could assume the role with assurance.
He would provide a play-breaking and deep-ball-delivering defensive midfield partner of the highest calibre for Rodri. The versatility Rice would bring to the backline under Guardiola and his experience as a center-back are further factors. It would be a thrilling shift for Rice and Man City, but it would be a terrifying one for their rivals. With Mateo Kovacic, a £30 million replacement for the departed captain Ilkay Gundogan, the Rice-Rodri combination might elevate the Man City engine room to a new level next season.
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