Manchester City make West Ham star their top priority next summer
According to a report from The Athletic, Manchester City have made the signing of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice their top priority next summer.
Declan Rice, 22, turned down two contract proposals from West Ham in the summer with a move away from the London Stadium very much possible in 2022. The midfielder, who starred in England’s run to the Euro 2020 final earlier this summer, still has three years left on his contract and wants to play in the Champions League.
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Manchester City views the West Ham skipper as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, who will turn 37 in May and is out of contract at the end of the season. The Sky Blues aren’t the only club interested in Rice, though, with Manchester United and Chelsea keeping tabs on the 22-year-old midfielder for some time now, The Athletic reports.
Rice has played a key role in West Ham’s solid start to the new season. Surprisingly, he hasn’t shown any levels of fatigue since returning from Euro 2020 and continues to perform consistently for David Moyes’ side.
The Englishman was head and shoulders above every other player on Sunday when West Ham beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park, bossing the game from the middle of the park with his passing, tackling, physicality and reading of the game.
He has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the last couple of years at West Ham and it is safe to say that Rice is one of the best players in his position in the Premier League. In truth, it is baffling that Rice is just 22-years-old when he plays like a midfielder at the prime of his career.
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It appears as if Manchester City have a clear plan in replacing Fernandinho after he possibly departs at the end of this campaign when his deal expires. Pep Guardiola interested in recruiting Rice shouldn’t surprise many, as the England international has got all the qualities a big club would look for in a midfielder.
However, it won’t be easy for Manchester City to beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to Rice’s signature next year.