Speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol, former Manchester City player Paul Stewart believes West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could succeed Fernandinho at the Etihad.
Fernandinho recently signed a new contract to prolong his stay at the Premier League champions. However, that new deal only runs until 2022, while the Brazilian is now 36 years of age.
It means City could find themselves in the market in the near future searching for a replacement, and Stewart believes that replacement could be Rice.
Would you take Rice at the Etihad?
Yes
No
When asked if Rice could succeed Fernandinho in that holding role at City, Stewart exclusively told TIF:
“Yeah, I think. When I look at Declan, he could easily be snapped up by City.
“He’s one of the better midfielders around, you know, he seems to have all the attributes. I think he’s done exceptionally well at West Ham, but with all due respect, he isn’t going to win anything major with West Ham.”
Last season, Rice managed to make 1.8 interceptions per league game, the highest average in West Ham’s squad (via WhoScored), so there is no questioning the Englishman’s ability to break up play.
He is also still just 22 years of age so can obviously get much better. Considering that, Rice could be a very good long-term investment who is capable of making an impact now for City.