According to a report in the Football Insider, Manchester City have shown an interest in signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
Yes, Rice is expected to leave at the end of the season and he’s currently a priority signing for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal but now Pep Guardiola has also asked Man City to keep tabs on the midfielder.
Declan Rice is target number one for Mikel Arteta and some reports have suggested that Arsenal are even willing to pay the demanded £100million in order to bring him on board.
However, if Man City cannot convince Ilkay Gundogan to sign a new deal then they will shift their focus to Rice as the long-term replacement.
Will Declan Rice choose Man City or Arsenal?
Up until now, most experts have claimed that Rice is ready to join Arsenal but things are about to get interesting with Man City now entering the race.
Gundogan is going to be a free agent in the summer but Pep is trying very hard to make him agree to a new deal. However, Barcelona want to sign the German and if this interest is genuine then the midfielder could snub a new contract at the Etihad and head to Spain.
If Gundogan is leaving then Declan Rice will be a great replacement but it’s bad news for Arsenal.
Arsenal urgently need midfield reinforcements but if Manchester City are challenging for Rice then Mikel Arteta’s side could move down the pecking order.
The Etihad outfit can very easily pay the £100million asking price and if they do make contact with Declan Rice in the coming months then the England international will have a tough decision to make.
At Arsenal, he will be the first-choice central midfielder and will get regular game time but then again, not many players have the courage to reject this Manchester City team.
Even if Gundogan leaves, Guardiola will still have players like Rodri and Kalvin Phillips but at the Etihad Stadium, Rice will have the opportunity to win silverwares each and every season.
It looks like Arsenal are going to miss out on the Premier League title and there’s no guarantee that they will be in a similar position next season or not. As far as Manchester City are concerned, they could end the current campaign with three trophies and next season also, they will be attacking all fronts.
Currently, Declan Rice has his heart set on a move to North London but if Man City shift their focus to the midfielder in the next few months then there’s every chance he is going to snub Arsenal.