Man City may agree Declan Rice deal within weeks after ‘bizarre’ West Ham development – Mills
Danny Mills has suggested Man City could agree a deal with West Ham before the beginning of June.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-City and England full-back claimed Pep Guardiola will have somebody lined up to replace Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan.
The Daily Mail on Wednesday (17 May) that Gundogan is free to quit the Etihad despite having just over 12 months left on his contract.
Fernandinho’s deal is up this summer and he recently announced he expects to leave after nine years with the club.
“Declan Rice would be the obvious one for that,” Mills told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“You would presume he’s turned down that bizarre eight-year contract from West Ham.
“City’s recruitment is usually pretty good. They will have known for a while that Fernandinho was going to leave, especially with his age. Gundogan, likewise.
“I don’t think there are too many youngsters coming through in that position. They’ve got a lot of attacking talent in that number 10 role.
“So it wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve got somebody lined up. You don’t tend to hear too much about their transfer business and then it’s done.
“It’s like Haaland, we were all assuming and then he signed one week and it was done. They’re good at keeping their business quiet until it’s announced.
“If it’s not Rice it could easily be someone else from abroad that they’ve got their eye on and think will fit into what they do.
“It’s a bit like what Man United used to do. Ferguson would identify targets and the moment the season’s finished in June they would go ‘Boom, deal done’.
“Before the end of May or beginning of June they would have their three players in.”
In other news, an ex-Uefa official has revealed Man City have been the victim of anti-English bias as a fine is issued.