Manchester City are readying an unexpected swoop for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to a recent report from Football Insider.
What's the latest Declan Rice transfer news?
According to one report, Arsenal have now dropped out of the race for Rice, despite the fact the player himself is keen on a move to north London, as they believe the £120m price tag West Ham are demanding is too high and unreasonable.
At one stage, the Gunners were said to be leading the race for the Englishman, but he may now have to move elsewhere, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all registering their interest, as per a report from Sky Sports.
Although Pep Guardiola is adamant about keeping Ilkay Gundogan, with talks ongoing about a new deal, the German's future remains up in the air, and the West Ham captain could now be targeted as a replacement.
According to a report from Football Insider, the Sky Blues are readying an unexpected swoop for the 24-year-old, laying the groundwork for a deal, with it now looking likely they will miss out on Jude Bellingham, who is close to joining Real Madrid.
City are monitoring the situation of the central midfielder, despite interest from Arsenal, as they are one of the only clubs that would be able to commit to spending over £100m.
With the summer window approaching, Guardiola could formalise his long-term interest in the England international, who has spoken about his desire to play in the Champions League on several occasions.
Should Man City sign Declan Rice?
With Man City set to miss out on Bellingham, signing the West Ham midfielder would be the next best thing, given that he has proven himself at Premier League level over a number of seasons.
Hailed as "world class" by former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley, the maestro has made 201 appearances in the English top flight, making his name as a box-to-box midfielder, with a keen eye for cutting out opposition attacks.
That is demonstrated by the fact he ranks in the 86th percentile for progressive carries, and in the 97th for interceptions per 90 in the past year, displaying both his attacking and defensive qualities.
One minor criticism that could be made is that Rice does not score enough goals, however he has played in a deep role for the vast majority of his career, and he more than makes up for his lack of threat going forward with his defensive capability.
