Manchester City have joined the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice this summer.
According to a report from the Telegraph’s Matt Law, City are weighing up the option to sign the in-demand England man this summer.
England and West Ham Midfielder Declan Rice Attracts Manchester City Attention
Manchester City Wary of Potential Declan Rice Transfer Saga
Despite their interest, City are cautious about the transfer as they do not want a similar saga to the one that daunted their failed pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s record-breaking striker Harry Kane last summer.
Pep Guardiola will also face competition for Rice’s signature as Chelsea and Manchester United are rumoured to be in contention to sign the 23-year-old. West Ham want around £150 million for their midfielder, whose contract runs until 2024, with an option to extend for a further 12 months.
Guardiola Admires Midfielder but Moyes Determined to Keep Him
City manager Guardiola is a big fan of Rice, describing him, as quoted by BBC Sport, as an “exceptional player” after his side beat West Ham 2-1 in November 2021.
Rice has had an exceptional start to his career. After leaving Chelsea’s academy he joined the youth ranks at West Ham, making his senior debut in 2017. The midfielder has since made 189 appearances for the Hammers across all competitions.
West Ham and Rice will hope to end the season with European silverware. They face Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals this Thursday.
Manager David Moyes wants to keep Rice but is in no rush to pin him down to a new deal.
Speaking after West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, Moyes said when asked about Rice: “We’ve said what we think. We like Dec.
“He’s got three and a half years to go in the contract so I don’t think there’s any big panic.
“I sold Wayne Rooney and Everton got better. It doesn’t always mean that things don’t harm but we’ve said before, we have no intention of selling him.”
🗣 “I sold Wayne Rooney and Everton got better.”
West Ham boss David Moyes discusses the possibility of selling Declan Rice and the implications that would bring to the club. 💰 pic.twitter.com/xtuzRCTbvh
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 25, 2022
Man City Want Transfer Business Done Early
The Citizens will hope to get all their transfer dealings done early to avoid any sagas similar to last season.
The Manchester club already signed Argentinian talent Julian Alvarez in January, with the striker joining up with the club in June.
Erling Haaland is also set to move to the Etihad in what could be one of the biggest transfers in football history.
With Man City captain Fernandinho leaving the club at the end of the season, Guardiola may see Rice as a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.
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