Man City are lining up West Ham wonderkid Declan Rice as long-term replacement for Fernandinho and haven’t been put off by him signing new deal
Pep Guardiola tracking Hammers teenager Rice despite him penning new contract last month as he plots summer bid to find new midfielder to succeed Fernandinho
MANCHESTER CITY are lining up Declan Rice as the long-term replacement for Fernandinho.
City boss Pep Guardiola knows he needs to find a young successor for his brilliant Brazilian midfielder, who turns 34 before the end of the season.
And West Ham's highly-rated teenager Rice is the player who has caught his eye - despite only signing a new long-term contract with the club last month.
Rice has emerged as one of the country's most promising young players this season after becoming the main man in the Hammers midfield.
The way he has dominated Premier League matches despite only being 19 years old has caught the attention of Guardiola and his coaching staff at the Etihad.
They see similarities in the way Rice reads the game and controls play to the influence Fernandinho has on the City side.
His importance to Guardiola's side has been magnified this season with City losing two of the three matches he missed through injury in December.
Despite a squad rich in quality and depth, the defending champions have no obvious player to step in and play Fernandinho's role when he is absent.
That places huge pressure on the former Shakhtar Donetsk star, even though he is approaching the latter stages of his career.
City bosses know that needs to change and will make strengthening in that position a priority this summer.
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SunSport understands Guardiola will make a detailed assessment of Rice throughout the remainder of the season.
City want to see if Rice has the stamina and ability to continue playing at such a high level throughout a whole season.
They will also take an interest in the next England squad in March, with Gareth Southgate desperate to win the battle with Republic of Ireland for his services.
And if he continues to shine, Guardiola is lining up a summer move for Rice - even though he only signed a new five-year £30,000-a-week deal in December.
It would take a bid over £50million to tempt West Ham into selling, but that is well within City's reach.
The ideal scenario would be for him to spend a season working alongside Fernandinho before succeeding him as the heartbeat of the side.