With Man City entering the race to sign Declan Rice, could Pep Guardiola turn the England international into his next Sergio Busquets
Manchester City are interested in the services of West Ham United captain Declan Rice, per reports.
Manchester City transfer news – What’s the latest on Declan Rice?
According to Sky Sports Italy reporter and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Rice is “getting closer to” signing for Manchester City, who now have “confidence to reach a final agreement with West Ham.
The update comes after David Ornstein broke the news yesterday morning that the Citizens were “expected to submit an offer” to “rival Arsenal” for the England international.
The Premier League champions entering the race for Rice’s signature has been an unexpected development
The update comes after David Ornstein broke the news yesterday morning that the Citizens were “expected to submit an offer” to “rival Arsenal” for the England international.
The Premier League champions entering the race for Rice’s signature has been an unexpected development.
Following David Sullivan’s confirmation that his skipper would be leaving in the summer, it appeared that Mikel Arteta’s side had been in the driving seat.
However, disagreements over fees and payment structure for the £120m-valued star seem to have left the door open for other teams to enter the race, and with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this week, midfield reinforcements will be needed at the Etihad.
Could Declan Rice be the next Sergio Busquets under Pep Guardiola?
It’s a massive question to ask of the 24-year-old.
Sergio Busquets is considered by many pundits and fans alike to be one of the best, if not the best defensive midfielder of the last two decades.
He was certainly a key figure under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola for four years, with the City boss being the man to unearth him from the famed La Masia academy back in 2008. Now, the Spaniard could find his next version of the colossal defensive midfielder in Rice, given the aforementioned reports.