Manchester City will refrain from launching a move for West Ham United star Declan Rice in the summer, opines Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that he does not see Manchester City attempting to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United in the upcoming transfer window.
Declan Rice has grown into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League over the past couple of years and has been the driving force behind West Ham’s progress under David Moyes. He has also established himself as a permanent fixture in the middle of the park for the English national team.
Rice’s progress has led to interest from several top clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United and former club Chelsea. In addition, Premier League champions Manchester City have also been touted as suitors for the West Ham United mainstay.
However, Agbonlahor thinks that Manchester City will not make a move for Rice as they already have Rodri as the first-choice starter in the position. Instead, the former Premier League striker believes that the Cityzens will target a move for a backup option for the Spanish international.
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— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 23, 2022
“I don’t think they will, to be honest. They’ve already got Rodri in that position. If they are going to bring somebody in, they are not going to bring someone in to sit on the bench. Declan Rice isn’t a player that’s going to sit on the bench. He’s going to be a starter every game.”
“I don’t think they will sign Declan Rice because they have Rodri. They will look at someone to be second-choice to Rodri. I don’t see Declan Rice there, no I don’t,” he said.
Rodri has been a key figure in Pep Guardiola’s setup at the Etihad Stadium and is likely to be rewarded with a new contract from the club imminently. But, they will need to bring in a new midfielder in the No. 6 position as long-serving star and club captain Fernandinho will be out of contract at the end of the season.
However, a move for Rice could be unlikely, as the West Ham ace would be reluctant to share game-time with Rodri.
