Manchester City have renewed their interest in West Ham captain Declan Rice ahead of a potential midfield overhaul.
The 24-year-old will have two years remaining on his West Ham contract at the conclusion of the Premier League season and is expected to move on to pastures new in order to fulfil his trophy winning ambitions.
City have long been interested in Rice, who has cited Yaya Toure as an idol in the past, but the reigning Premier League champions have always been well stocked in central midfield and strengthening other areas of Pep Guardiola’s squad has always been prioritised.
But this summer could be a period of transition for City, who are facing up to the possibility of losing both Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva.
The latter has shown an interest in leaving the Etihad Stadium in particular and is a known target for Catalan giants Barcelona, while 32-year-old Gundogan’s City career may be coming to an end as his contract expires at the end of June – talks are ongoing with the German as he decides whether to stay or return to Europe amid interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
There’s also uncertainty over the long-term future of Kalvin Phillips, with his debut season at the Etihad yielding just 21 minutes of Premier League action to date amid a raft of injury problems.
That leaves just Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne as Guardiola’s two other senior midfield options, and sources have confirmed to 90min that City are working diligently behind the scenes to map out their next steps.
Rice is a player they continue to be impressed with, given his ability to play the holding role and as a powerful box-to-box midfielder, and the 24-year-old has drawn plaudits from elsewhere for his performances in a West Ham side that have failed to push on this season.
City would also appear to have the financial muscle to prise Rice away from London Stadium – despite allegations of Financial Fair play breaches – as West Ham are expected to demand a record fee for a British player worth in excess of £100m – the amount City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
Arsenal and Chelsea also hold significant interest in Rice, while Liverpool are also not out of the running despite their eagerness to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. Manchester United, meanwhile, have always had Rice in their crosshairs, but the signing of Casemiro in the summer and their long-term admiration for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong means a deal is not their number one priority.
