Journalist Dean Jones has claimed Manchester City could potentially hijack Arsenal’s reported transfer move for Declan Rice.
It was reported earlier this week that the Gunners are closing in on a £100m move for the West Ham United midfielder.
With the summer transfer window now officially open, one journalist has hinted a potential twist in this particular saga.
Jones says City could hijack Rice move
In a recent post on his Patreon page, Jones said this about Rice and his current situation.
He said: “I would describe Rice as 80% sure to join Arsenal as of right now. He loves the idea of it.
“If it starts to drag on there is a small chance it’s hijacked. If that happens it might be Man City.
“I don’t think it will happen, but it might. They definitely have made an enquiry after him and if he suddenly has an offer from the Champions of Europe, led by Pep, it’ll be very hard to turn down. But anyway, he’s probably going to Arsenal.”
During his time at West Ham, the 24-year-old has made 245 senior appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and recently lifting the Europa Conference League trophy as well.
Having played more minutes than any other Hammers player in the Premier League last season, the midfielder racked up more progressive passes (240), carries into the final third of the pitch (75) and recoveries (334) than any other player at the club, as well as having the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (142).
This shows why the England international has found himself mentioned with a move to the likes of Arsenal and City with a hefty price tag on his head.
The Englishman has previously caught the attention of Pep Guardiola, who once described Rice as an “exceptional” player.
However, bearing in mind how City have the likes of Rodri and Kalvin Phillips in their ranks, perhaps going to the effort of hijacking such as significant transfer deal made not be totally necessary for the club.
Moving forward, unless City see Rice as a top target, we feel that they should focus on other potential transfer options.
