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Premier League champions Manchester City have renewed interest in West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal.
As reported by 90Min, the Cityzens have identified the West Ham skipper as a transfer target ahead of a potential midfield overhaul.
Rice has been one of the most coveted players in the Premier League in recent times and is heavily expected to move on from West Ham at the end of the season. He is currently 24 years of age and has his contract expiring in the summer of 2024, putting the Hammers in a tricky situation.
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The east London outfit have done extremely well to keep hold of their priced asset for so long but must cash in on him this summer as they simply cannot afford to lose him for free in 12 months' time.
Manchester City have long been credited with an interest in Rice but have never been in desperate need of bolstering in the middle of the park. However, they face the possibility of losing both Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva this summer, with both players attracting interest from Barcelona.
Kalvin Philipps, on the other hand, has been thoroughly underwhelming in his debut season for the Cityzens, having had just 21 minutes of Premier League football so far.
Manchester City's interest in Rice could be bad news for Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, who are all interested in the 24-year-old as per reports.
The Gunners, in particular, have claimed to be the frontrunners to land the England international.
Former Gunners star makes Premier League title prediction involving Arsenal and Manchester City
Arsenal legend Alan Smith has claimed that Manchester City are still the team to beat in the Premier League title race.
The two sides are neck and neck at the top of the league, with City leading the way on goal difference. However, the Gunners boast a game in hand over Pep Guardiola's men.
Smith touched on the fact that the title race is mathematically in Arsenal's hands. He also told Best Gambling Sites that he had predicted City to win the league at the start of the season:
"Mathematically, it’s Arsenal’s to lose. But to say that with so many games left is not a true reflection on what’s going on. I think most people thought City were going to win the league, I know I did. It’s just in the past few weeks where you thought, ‘hold on a minute, if Arsenal can beat City and increase that gap, who knows?'"
Smith insisted that Manchester City are the team to beat:
"Arsenal have to get back in the saddle and get a couple of away wins against Villa and Leicester, but City are still the team to beat. There’s been one or two glimpses of vulnerability with City, but come the big occasion, they show they’re still the team to beat. Whether they drop too many points from here until the end of the season, we’ll have to wait and see, but if you finish a point above City, you’re going to win the league."
Manchester City claimed a 3-1 victory over Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates on Wednesday (February 17) and overtook the north Londoners at the top of the league. Meanwhile, the Gunners have lost two of their last three league games.
